End of an era: State of Wisconsin to end use of its 72 forest fire towers
A relic of Wisconsin's northern and central forests is coming to an end.
Fire towers, perched over the treetops to spot smoke and fire since the 1930s, will be taken out of service in 2016.
The Department of Natural Resources says that all 72 towers will be removed from service. The agency assessed their condition and determined they are no longer safe and would be too expensive to replace. In the early 1930s, the state operated 119 fire towers.
Last year, 60 were staffed with part-time employees who use binoculars to spot fires and radio in locations.
"They were a critically important part of fire protection," said Trent Marty, director of the bureau of forest protection at the DNR. "They served their mission well, but it's time to move forward.'
The towers, averaging about 100 feet, have been operated with personnel working an average of 17 days a year during periods of heightened fire danger, usually in the spring before trees leaf out.
Like so much else, the towers and the people inside them are being replaced by technology.
Traditionally, spotters would use their binoculars, maps and a table-sized 360-degree compass to identify the location of smoke and then radio the coordinates to headquarters. Other spotters might see the same smoke and help to pinpoint the fire.
Marty said that the $100,000 saved from ending the program will be redeployed for more aerial surveillance.
The need for fire towers diminished as the prevalence of cellphones has grown. Another factor is that more people live in areas that were once sparsely populated, according to Marty.
Today, more than 90% of forest fires are first reported by citizens.
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