How much does it cost to build a fire watch tower?

Each tower will cost about $300,000 a pop, but in DCNR Fire Division Chief Mike Kern’s eyes, it’s worth the price. “If you can prevent even one fire from getting large, you pay for the fire towers,” Kern said.

Can you build a fire lookout tower?

Most lookout towers do not have showers, flush toilets or running water. If you do fall in love with living in a lookout tower, you can build your own. This couple built a tower retreat in Western Montana with many of the same aspects of an original fire lookout tower.

How tall is a typical fire tower?

These huge wooden towers could extend 30 to 60 feet (9 to 20 m).

Do Firewatch towers have bathrooms?

Up four flights of stairs, the lookout is 388 square feet with a simple kitchen spanning the back wall and two narrow beds flanking the sides. Up a skinny wooden ladder, a “cupola” serves as a master suite — minus the bathroom. In fact, there’s no bathroom to be found.

Can you buy old fire towers?

Luckily, however, interest in these fortresses of solitude reemerged, and their state and federal owners realized that they could be reborn for other uses. Today many vintage fire towers are available for rental by the general public.

Do fire towers still exist?

At their peak, 625 fire lookout towers stood watch in California. Today, just 198 remain and only 50 of those are staffed — largely by volunteers — according to the Forest Fire Lookout Association.

Can you live in a fire tower?

At present, there are at least 85 lookout towers in the U.S. that you can rent overnight. Some are in National Forests; some are in state parks; and some are on USDA Forest Service land.

How much does it cost to build an observation tower?

Our prefabricated observation towers are built with a safety-first design that can be customized to your unique needs. The 40′ tall observation tower packages start at $60,000.

Are there still fire lookouts?

Do fire towers get struck by lightning?

The Forest Service has many lookouts and other facilities that are subject to lightning strikes. Since these towers are perched high on mountain tops they become a natural lighting conductor. To help minimize injury to employees, structures and to prevent fires, these towers are grounded using copper wires.

Can you live in a watchtower?

At present, there are at least 85 lookout towers in the U.S. that you can rent overnight. Some are in National Forests; some are in state parks; and some are on USDA Forest Service land. Despite the popularity of this unique lodging option, most fire lookout towers go for just $25-75 a night – a real steal.

How many fire towers are in USA?

A survey by the Forest Fire Lookout Association estimates that only about 300 fire lookout towers are still manned today, many by volunteers.

What is the purpose of a fire lookout tower?

A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a “fire look-out” whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness.

Are there any fire lookout tower drawings in Oregon?

Region 6 Lookout Tower Drawings This site contains historic Fire Lookout Tower Drawings used in Region 6 (Oregon and Washington) from 1936 to 1965. These are historic documents and these drawings do not meet current structural codes and should not be used for any type of construction.

How much does it cost to rent a fire lookout tower?

The U.S. Forest Service offers them for about $40 a night. To rent a tower: 1. Go to the recreation.gov website. 2. Choose cabins or lookouts from the ‘Looking for’ pull-down menu on the left under the “Find Sites” sidebar.

Do you dream of living in a fire lookout tower?

For those who really want a taste of solitary living, have you ever dreamed of getting away from it all in a fire lookout tower? In nearly every state of the U.S., fire lookout towers have been built in wilderness areas to watch for forest and wildland fires.