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lookout tower

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In the Lookout

May 05, 2020 12:00 AM
High above the ground, among the gently swaying pine needles, is a small room overlooking a stunning mountain vista. The watchtower has a panoramic view of the surrounding hills and valleys. For the past century, this watchtower and dozens just like it have dotted the woodlands of the western United States. After the horrific fire of 1910 that devastated the states of Idaho, Montana, and Washington, and killed more than 85 people, the US Forest Service began erecting thousands of watchtowers to spot, track, and stop fires early on. Now, decades later, with the advancement of technology, the demand for human lookouts has drastically dwindled. A handful of mostly volunteer lookouts remain, with the watchtowers standing as symbols of the eternal struggle between man and nature.
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