Lookouts spot fires from the best seat in the house (and state)

If the West Valley View ever expands its coverage area to include any of the forests around Flagstaff, Sedona or Prescott — unlikely since we love covering the West Valley so much — then the first feature I'll be writing will be about the dedicated fire technicians who staff the lookouts and watch for fires.

Over the weekend, I joined my father and brother for a guy's-only mini-vacation into the Coconino National Forest near Stoneman Lake, southeast of Sedona. Saturday afternoon we hopped in a Jeep and took a detour to the Apache Maid Lookout, which is a four-story metal overlook atop a mountain. After driving the rocky, narrow path to the top we climbed the tower and found a fire official and her young son watching for fires at the top. We were shocked to see that Sierra and her son Wyatt not only work from the tower, but live there as well. The lookout tower was roughly 12x12, but it held everything Sierra and Wyatt could need. There were beds (Wyatt's had Toy Story sheets!), work spaces, a small refrigerator, cooking stove and oven, and also lots of fire-spotting gadgets and radio equipment. Their bathrooms were near the base of the tower, but they got water up top from a hand pump.

   

Best of all, though: the views! They had a beautiful 360-degree panoramic view of the Coconino National Forest. The forest stretched out below them amid valleys and mountains. Squint just a little and you could see the red rocks and famous rock formations of Sedona. Of course, Sierra's job isn't just sightseeing: she looks for smoke and calls out smoke sightings to fire crews on the ground. She also monitors weather patterns, maintains radio contact with emergency crews and serves as a tour guide to visitors who drop in to the lookout. The position is obviously filled already, but check out the job description here.

These lookouts, which are staffed 24/7 during fire seasons, dot forests throughout the state. You can find a national listing of lookouts here, and an Arizona listing here. If you're looking for a fun day trip, do some research on a lookout near you and head on out. Some lookouts require off-road vehicle to get to, but some don't. Always call the non-emergency fire district number associated with the lookout first to check to see if the lookout is open and accessible.


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