Fire Lookouts: Of Mules and Men

Many skills were needed to transport building materials to the lookout sites and to construct the lookouts and to install the many miles of telephone line (and sometimes re-install them after the lines were carried away by slides or broken to bits by a lightning strike). Building materials, bedding, groceries, and other essentials were packed on the backs of mules, horses, and men; and later via a 'Cat, ' truck, airplane, or helicopter. The cost of building and maintaining the lookouts has been a factor. (The lowest cost recorded was 25 cents for nails to build a shake shelter). Although pasture fencing was a very small part of the cost, it was often vital to the operation of the lookout system, because horses, especially in the early years, were often used as transportation and to bring supplies to the lookouts. Construction was often hampered by weather: wind, rain, or snow. The historical information in these volumes is the culmination of many years of research of original documents by Ron Kemnow for his website, ronkemnow.weebly.com. Also included are many historical photographs. Some of the older photographs and picture postcards are of poor quality, but were included for their historical value. This book is not in narrative form, but is a collection of official reports, letters, and news articles, presented as they were originally written