Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association
Encyclopedia
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
and operation of the fire lookout tower
Fire lookout tower
A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness...
s in the Angeles National Forest
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
, Los Angeles County, and other Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
areas. The organization works in partnership with the federal, state, county and city agencies to meet these goals.
The Association was founded in 1998 by Pam and George Morey and several other members as an offshoot of the San Bernardino National Forest Association.
Purpose
- Restore, maintain and staff the remaining lookouts of the Angeles National Forest.
- The Association serves an additional role in that the volunteers are trained fire lookouts to call in smoke and fire reports thus enhancing the fire fighting capabilities of the U.S. Forest Service.
- Interpret the natural and cultural history of the fire lookouts and the surrounding area for forest visitors.
- Encourage visitors to participate actively in caring for all of our National Forests
- Generate interest in and support for the fire lookout program
Objectives
- Staff and maintain fire lookout towers of the Angeles National Forest and nearby Southern California area.
- Assist the Angeles National Forest Dispatch/Fire Suppression Staff by providing radio relay, accurate smoke reports and remote eyes and ears for incident assessment as needed
- Assist the Angeles National Forest Fire Prevention Staff through interpretive delivery of key fire prevention messages and hands-on experience with the Osborne Fire Finder and related devices
- Assist the Angeles National Forest Recreation Staff by providing general recreation information
- Assist the Angeles National Forest by greeting visitors, and providing general forest orientation, information and assistance
- Provide informal and impromptu interpretation of the surrounding area both cultural and historical
- Create a positive image for the U.S. Forest Service, Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association, volunteers, partners and sponsors
The Fire Lookout Towers
| Lookout Name | Information | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| Vetter Mountain Vetter Mountain Vetter Mountain is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and within the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County, California. Elevation 5908 feet.... |
Restored 1998. The Vetter Mountain Fire Lookout was destroyed in the 2009 Station Fire. See Vetter Mountain Vetter Mountain Vetter Mountain is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and within the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County, California. Elevation 5908 feet.... . |
 |
| Slide Mountain | Slide Mountain Lookout, located above Pyramid Lake Pyramid Lake (California) Pyramid Lake is an artificial lake formed by Pyramid Dam on Piru Creek, near Castaic, California. The reservoir lies on the border between the Angeles National Forest and the Los Padres National Forest in the northwestern portion of Los Angeles County.... off Interstate 5 Interstate 5 Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S... , was built in 1969 as part of the Pyramid Reservoir project. It was restored by ANFFLA and operational since 2003. This lookout is open all year long, and hearty volunteers are needed, as it is a 3 hour uphill hike to the lookout. |
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| Johnstone Peak | This tower was relocated from Johnstone Peak to the Los Angeles County Fair Los Angeles County Fair The inaugural Los Angeles County Fair, now known as the L.A. County Fair, opened Oct. 17, 1922, and ran for five days through October 21, 1922, in a former beet field in Pomona, California. Highlights of the Fair’s first year were harness racing, chariot races and an airplane wing-walking... held in Pomona, California Pomona, California -2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile... . The lookout is staffed in cooperation with the Angeles Volunteer Association. Thousands of visitors to this steel tower receive Fire Prevention Fire prevention Fire Prevention is a function of many fire departments. The goal of fire prevention is to educate the public to take precautions to prevent fires, and be educated about surviving them. It is a proactive method of reducing emergencies and the damage caused by them. Many fire departments have a Fire... messages and a brief look into the life of a fire lookout. |
 |
| South Mount Hawkins South Mount Hawkins South Mount Hawkins is located in the San Gabriel Mountains, and contained within the Angeles National Forest. The mountain was named after Nellie Hawkins, a popular waitress of the Squirrel Inn located on the North Fork of the San Gabriel River.... |
Built 1935, closed 1981(?), restored and operational 1999, destroyed by the Curve Fire in 2002. The photo on the right shows the tower before its destruction. |  |
| Warm Springs | Warm Springs Fire Lookout tower cab was destroyed by in the Ruby Ridge Fire of 1987, however the steel tower remains intact. The ANFFLA is planning to rebuild and return to service this tower at a future date. | |
| Castro Peak Fire Lookout | Relocated from Castro Peak Castro Peak (California) Castro Peak is the highest peak in the middle part of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is 2,824 feet. The town of Malibu is located to the southeast of the peak. Castro Peak is located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.... , this small fire lookout tower is now located in Henninger Flats Henninger Flats Henninger Flats is a small hanging basin above sea level in the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest. It was part of the Mt Wilson Toll Road. The trailhead to reach the flats is at the top end of Eaton Canyon in Pasadena, California.-History:... . It is a static display and property of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Preliminary "no obligation" talks regarding ANFFLA volunteers providing interpretive services will be held in the fall of 2006 between ANFFLA and LACoFD. |
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| Volunteer Fire Watch | The Volunteer Fire Watch program was created during the extreme dry conditions near the end of the 2004 fire season where record low fuel moisture levels caused the entire National Forest to be closed. The ANFFLA volunteers mobilized to create a Fire Watch program from their privately owned vehicles. |  |
Association Membership
The association is open to all people, aged 18 or older. They must attend required training to join, and attend a "re-up" session once a year usually held in the Spring before the start of the fire season.Training
All new members are required to attend 3 instructional classes consisting of "Introduction", "Interpretation", and "Operations" in order to be a member. To be a qaulified fire lookout, one must also attend an "in-tower" training class at the lookout tower of their choice. In order to be qualified for more than one tower, the applicant must attend an "in-tower" training at each of the towers.Each year, returning members must attend a yearly "re-up" session.