Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests
Crooked River National Grassland

Fire & Aviation

Fire Lookouts on the Deschutes

Lookouts on Maiden Peak, Black Butte, Walker Mountain, and Paulina Peak comprised the original system of detecting forest fires on the Deschutes National Forest. Fire detection, prevention, and suppression was the major mission of the USFS after its establishment in 1907.

In the early days when as few as two people were responsible for the lands that presently make up the Deschutes National Forest, rangers often performed detection duties while patrolling, climbing peaks on horseback for a "lookout". You can imagine the trouble these men had enlisting fire fighters to fight fires in remote areas of the backcountry.

Assistant Forest Supervisor Vern Harpham built the first lookout cabin on Paulina Peak in 1917. Timbers were hauled by wagon to the outlet of Paulina Lake, then dragged in bundles up the three mile trail to the site. By the time Vern finally finished building the 12 x 16 foot one room cabin on Paulina Peak, he decided he needed a more efficient approach to the construction of a lookout house on Walker Mountain. He came up with the idea that to save time and effort, he would build a stone cabin from the rock found at the top of the mountain. But efficiency was not the result as he found the native sand unsuitable for concrete, and no water source available. He was forced to haul up sand and water as well as cement to the summit by pack train. Yet for all his difficulties, the cabin at Paulina Peak is gone today, while the one at Walker Mountain is still standing.

As the fire detection system on the Deschutes expanded to include 32 lookouts by the 1930's, many lookout towers and houses came to include living and work quarters in the same room. On Paulina Peak, a prefabricated 14 x 14 foot cabin was placed on the rocks in 1932, replacing the earlier one constructed by Harpham. A new lookout on a short tower replaced that one in 1964 and was later destroyed in 1969 as the Forest Service began to phase out widespread use of lookouts.

Today, fire detection is still an important issue on the Deschutes National Forest. Presently, there are eleven lookout facilities, seven of which are continuously staffed during the fire season. These women and men watch over the forest during the summer, looking for smokes and performing their duties as stewards over public lands.

USDA Forest Service - Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests
Last Modified: Thursday, 12 June 2003 at 12:45:53 EDT