PHOTO: Fire lookout recruiting 1
Kathy Rossler, Ray Villa and Diane Witter, all fire lookout hosts at Strawberry Peak, were at Goodwin & Son’s Market last year to recruit new hosts. Another such event will take place on Jan. 12. (File photo)

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The view from the Strawberry Peak lookout tower is breathtaking. (Contributed photo)

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Strawberry Peak fire lookout tower (Contributed photo)

Training to be ‘eyes on the forest’

By Mary-Justine Lanyon

Things can get very exciting for the volunteers who man the fire lookout towers on the mountain. Just ask Dan Zahner, who is a volunteer at the Strawberry Peak tower.
The first tower was built in 1876 in the Donner Pass by the Union Pacific Railroad to watch over the rail lines. “Trains were the source of a lot of fires,” Zahner said.
Today the towers – including the ones at Strawberry Peak, Keller Peak, Butler Peak and Morton Peak – come under the jurisdiction of the Southern California Mountains Foundation. They are manned by volunteers, who go through a series of classes, training them in what to look for and how to use the equipment like the Osborne Firefinder.
As for the qualifications, Zahner said you have to be over 18, be able to make it up 35 steps, have no fear of heights and have no fear of talking on the radio.
“A lot of people ask why we need fire towers when we have satellites and drones. I tell them to look at the satellite feed. As soon as it clouds over, you can’t see and you can’t tell if it’s a fire or smoke from the cement plant.”
He added that “drones cost a huge amount of money. I would argue they are inferior to what we do in the tower.”
Zahner notes that, when on duty, the volunteers are constantly turning to look in every direction. “A drone only looks where the camera is pointed.”
If your interest is piqued, head to Goodwin & Son’s Market on Jan. 12 from 8 to 10 a.m. and talk with Ray Villa and other fire lookout hosts who will be there to recruit new volunteers.
The event will take place in the bakery area. Folks who purchase a cup of coffee or juice will be treated to a free donut by Goodwin’s.
“We are looking for local residents,” Villa said, “who are willing to give a few hours to be our ‘eyes on the forest.’”
Anyone who is interested but unable to attend the recruiting event may contact Shane Harris, the fire lookout program manager, at [email protected]