The Southern California Mountains Foundation’s Fire Lookout Program is seeking volunteers to staff 4 lookout towers on the San Bernardino National Forest in 2023 (Keller Peak, Butler Peak, Morton Peak, Strawberry Peak).

Fire Lookouts help protect the forest, local mountain communities, and communities along the forest boundary from the threat of fire. Fire Lookouts also act as docents to the multitude of the public that visit the towers.

Becoming a Fire Lookout is serious business and a rewarding way to give back to the community. Volunteers must attend three training classes: a two-hour Orientation class, followed by a four-hour Natural History class, an all-day (eight-hour) Operations class, and at least one all-day In-Tower Training shift that puts you in the fire lookout with an experienced In-Tower Trainer. The in-tower training shift is operational, with the tower entirely in service.

Becoming a Fire Lookout is an interesting, enjoyable, and rewarding undertaking. However, it is not a position to be taken lightly. A Fire Lookout must be professional, reliable, attentive, and most importantly, trustworthy as they may have a larger perspective of the fire environment, how incoming weather impacts it, and the safety of personnel in the field.

New Volunteer training begins in early April 2023, the dates will be made available to interested people who respond to this.  Volunteers must be age 18 or over for this position. Respond by December 1^st to reserve your training spot.

Dates and additional information will be posted on the Southern California Mountains Foundation website. Please contact the Fire Lookout Manager, Shane Harris, at (909) 761-5860 or e-mail at [email protected] to register for the training or to ask any questions.