Park Ridge Lookout: a century of fire watching in Kings Canyon

Park Ridge Lookout, high on a ridge in Kings Canyon National Park, has watched for smoke over the southern Sierra Nevada for more than a century. On Saturday, August 3, 2013, about thirty people gathered there to mark its listing on the National Historic Lookout Register.

Three lookouts on one ridge

The ceremony

• The certificate. Chris Fabbro, Sierra Nevada chapter director of the Forest Fire Lookout Association, presented the register certificate and a plaque to John Ziegler, the Kings Canyon district fire management officer, and Larry Smith, captain of Engine 51.
• The history. Kathy Allison, president of the Buck Rock Foundation, spoke about lookouts in the United States and about Park Ridge.
• The memories. Kay Coffin, daughter of long-time fire watcher Mattie Sims, described childhood summers living in the lookout.
• The volunteers. Wendy Garton, the foundation's volunteer coordinator, described the programme that has staffed Park Ridge with volunteers since 2004.
• Learning. A ranger led a hike from Panoramic Point to the lookout, park fire staff explained firefighting and fire ecology at the trailhead, and volunteer fire watchers gave tours of the tower.

Who looks after it

The Buck Rock Foundation organises volunteers for three lookouts — Buck Rock, Park Ridge and Delilah — and works to keep fire lookouts alive for fire detection, education and history. It led the nomination of Park Ridge with Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The lookout is still in use: for spotting fires, for teaching, and as a piece of the Park Service's history.

Sources

Written from "Wildland Fire: Park Ridge Lookout National Historic Lookout Register", National Park Service, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, a work of the United States government in the public domain.