r/firelookouts • u/Dayala2002 • Jul 16 '25

Lookout Pics Vetter Mountain Lookout

This season we have so many new Volunteer Fire Lookouts. I think the LA fires in January helped motive people to sign up. But that also means that I'll have less shifts this season. So far Vetter has been open almost every day this season.

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10

u/Botany_Dave Jul 16 '25

Why are volunteers needed? The lookouts on our forest are staffed by paid employees.

13

u/Dayala2002 Jul 16 '25

Someone somewhere decided that the lookouts were no longer needed in the Angeles National Forest. There are many lookouts across the US that are staffed by volunteers. Some lookouts are staffed by employees and volunteers. In the Angeles we are down to two active lookouts. The organization Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout aka ANFFLA helps maintain and operate the last two lookouts. We are hopeing to get another 2 up and running soon. But there is a lot of red tape and we have been struggling to staff the 2 we have. Hopefully now with the increase in volunteers we can open the there lookoutas.

7

u/Such_Morning4459 Jul 19 '25

that might be the freshest, most well maintained lookout I've ever seen

3

u/Dayala2002 Jul 19 '25

Well that's because it burned the Station Fire in 2009. Edison paid to have it reconstructed (since it was their fault it burned). They started to reconstruction in September of 2019 and was completed in April, 2020. The new lookout was first staffed over the 4th of July weekend of 2020. We also do our best to paint and do repairs as needed.

3

u/Monssly Jul 19 '25

I'd be thrilled to volunteer in a lookout for a season, but it seems like there's never any positions available in my province (BC) leading up to Summer. If anyone knows, where should I look?

2

u/triviaqueen Jul 16 '25

Where is this located?

3

u/Dayala2002 Jul 16 '25

Los Angeles, Angeles National Forest.