WrightwoodCalif.com Forum
Public Forums => Outdoors => Topic started by: Wrightwood on Sep 11, 09, 03:50:49 PM
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Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association
http://www.anffla.org/news
Hiking trails impacted by Station Fire
http://www.scpr.org/news/2009/09/03/hiking-trails-impacted-station-fire/
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(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/53/VetterLookout01.jpg/300px-VetterLookout01.jpg)
I know a couple of our USFS Volunteers out of the Big Pines station spent a lot of time at the Vetter Lookout. It is very sad that it is gone. It was the last remaining of the original lookout facilities in the forest, having been built in 1935.
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Why wasn't proper clearance done around the lookout to protect this historic building?
In the same thought: Why wasn't proper clearing done around Mt. Wilson (the communications facilities and the Observatory) to properly protect them ahead of time?
I know that money was spent on a fuel modification project around the USFS Fire station just south of where the Station Fire started. I think that more should have been done to protect all the important infrastructures that were lost, including recreational areas.
Should be an interesting Blue Ribbon Commission report, especially if the report does not whitewash anything.
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I know a couple of our USFS Volunteers out of the Big Pines station spent a lot of time at the Vetter Lookout. It is very sad that it is gone. It was the last remaining of the original lookout facilities in the forest, having been built in 1935.
I think Slide Mountain Lookout is an original, too.
Re-dedicated 10/04/03
Date Built: 1969
http://www.anffla.org/slide
(http://www.anffla.org/files/images/Slide%20Lookout%20070610--L-b.jpg)
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Why wasn't proper clearance done around the lookout to protect this historic building?
Take a look at Vetter from this perspective:
(http://www.anffla.org/files/oldvetter.jpg)
I've worked on Vetter. It was cleared. I'm really quite surprised that it burned.
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Look at the other side of Vetter. Good run of fuels right up to the lookout itself.
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Wow, that is a shame. Hope they will rebuild Vetter and make changes in policy so it cannot be lost again!
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Need to rebuild it fire resistant and maintain the vegetation below it.
How about boxing in the eaves ::)
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Per Inciweb
Remains of Vetter Mountain Lookout Tower
(https://165.221.39.44/ftp/InciWeb/CAANF/2009-08-27-00:53-station/picts/pict-20090919-184730-0.jpeg)
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I have been to Vetter and work at Strawberry. I will be interested to find out if they were able shut down the lookout completely before the fire, like they do for the winter. That would be lowering the wood shades down that cover the windows completely. I doubt that it was down as we are not trained to do so if we are evacuated. Maybe it would have helped. Hopefully they were able to get the historic items out before it burned. As far as clearing goes ,the Lookout Association works almost entirely on volunteers and donations so we do what we can. At Strawberry we have been trying for years to get some trees removed, but to date the forest service has not been responsive. I think due to budget constraints the lookouts are not a top priority.
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Janie--was the picture of Slide Mountain taken after the Day fire? I'm noticing burned brush in the foreground.
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Janie--was the picture of Slide Mountain taken after the Day fire? I'm noticing burned brush in the foreground.
I don't know for sure. But the caption on the photo found here
http://www.anffla.org/galleries/slide
says: "Slide Lookout Tower as seen from the trail (070610). This is the first look at the tower as you are hiking up the trail."
Presumably 070610 is the date, June 10, 2007 which would, yes, put it after the Day Fire which was started September 4, 2006.
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If anyone is going to the L A county fair there is a forest service exhibit on the far west end. At that location you will find the Johnstone tower and you can stop in and say hi and leave a donation that will help all the towers including vetter. The tower is open from fair opening to dusk. We would really appreciate the donation. Anyone there on Wed Sept 30th stop and say hi I will be working that day. Also remember you can always visit the towers in the San Bernardino National Forest. Special note anyone purchasing a cookbook will directly fund the Cajon tower benefiting our area.