Fire Lookout Types
There are a multitude of fire lookout designs and types used over the years. Very early lookouts were mostly of wood and/or logs and didn't usually use any uniform design as they were crafted with whatever materials were on site at the time.
Later when steel towers were adopted, a more uniform design was used by various manufacturers. Federal Lookouts made of wood also began to use standard styles. Some states used their own designs. The "L" series began in the Northwest and became a common live-in tower standard.
Outside of the "L" and "R" lookouts, the most popular lookout structure elsewhere in the U.S. is the all metal tower. Its primary supplier, the Aermotor Co. (same company that made most of the windmills for farms all across America) offered its fire tower in a dozen different designs, since the early 1920s.
Later when steel towers were adopted, a more uniform design was used by various manufacturers. Federal Lookouts made of wood also began to use standard styles. Some states used their own designs. The "L" series began in the Northwest and became a common live-in tower standard.
Outside of the "L" and "R" lookouts, the most popular lookout structure elsewhere in the U.S. is the all metal tower. Its primary supplier, the Aermotor Co. (same company that made most of the windmills for farms all across America) offered its fire tower in a dozen different designs, since the early 1920s.
L-6 - an 8 x 8 foot frame pre-cut lookout house (an even smaller version of the L-4) built mostly atop tall wooden towers, with separate living quarters on the ground.
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L-4 - was by far the most popular live-in lookout.
It came in three generations; with a 14x14' wood frame cab, windows
all around; sitting on the ground, or atop pole or timber towers up to
100' tall. The 1929-1932 version featured a gable (2-sided)
wood shingle roof. The 1933-1935 version had a 4-sided hip roof.
The 1936-1952 version had a similar hip roof, with extended ceiling
joists to hold the window shutters open.
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D-6 - a cupola house design with main floor being 12 x 12 feet, and having a 1/4 sized second floor observatory, built mostly during the 1920's. D-6 refers to District 6 of the U.S. Forest Service (Pacific Northwest Region), which later became Region 6. Very few remain in the Northwest.
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L-5 - a 10 x 10 foot frame pre-cut lookout house (smaller version of the L-4) built mostly at secondary lookout points in the 1930's. The term "L-5" was also given to a handful of 14x14' gable-roofed log cabins in Idaho and Montana.
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R-6 - standard 15 x 15 foot frame lookout house built from 1953 forward. The roof is flat and extends beyond the cabin a few feet to provide shade. R-6 refers to Region 6 of the U.S. Forest Service (Washington & Oregon), the originator of the design.
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Aermotor LX-25 - Appears similar to a LS-40 with the exception of ladders being used between the landings instead of risers.
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Aermotor LL-25 (Internal Stairway) - Came with several ladder styles, the early version on the outside of the steel work. Aermotor later released a kit to convert the external ladder to a permanent internal stairway with landings. This photo shows the retrofitted version of the LL-25, with crews actually working on the task of conversion. |
Aermotor LL-25 (External Ladder) - Came with several ladder styles, the early version on the outside of the steel work. It was later determined it was not safe for the watchman or visitors to climb the ladder. Aermotor released a kit to convert the external ladder to a permanent internal stairway with landings. This photo shows the external ladder version.
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Aermotor LS-40 - One of the more common steel towers. The stair risers run back and forth up the fire tower between large landings. These came many sizes - 22, 35, 47, 60, 73, 80, and 100 foot models.
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Aermotor MC-39 - Likely the most popular of the steel designs and is similar to the International Derrick designs. a heavily galvanized free-standing batter-legged hurricane-proof structure with a 7x7' metal cab. It came in a wide choice of heights: 33' (4 flites, 44 steps); 45'9" (5 flites, 61 steps); 59'3" (79 steps); 79'6" (8 flites, 97 steps); 99'9" (9 flites,133 steps). Also a few dozen were 120' tall; and the tallest, 176 feet.
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International Derrick Model 1933 - Developed through a cooperative effort between the Aermotor Company and the U.S. Forest service. The model 1933 was made by each of the major fire tower manufacturers inluding the International Derrick Company. The Aermotor MC-39 is essentially the same design as the 1933 model.
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International Derrick Model 1937 - The design of the 1937 model is an entirely U.S. Forest Service design making minor changes from the model 1933 design. The 1937 model were primarily manufactured by the International Derrick Company.
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CL-100 - is an all metal live-in tower with a 14x14' cab; a preferred choice in California and Arizona, where many are in use still. A few made it into the east including one in Acadia National Park in Maine
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Metal Lookout Tower Types by Aermotor & 6 other companies. 1926-1960:
1 LX-24. light galvanized iron, 60’ w/ metal straight ladder, 7x7’ metal cab.
2 LX-24. 75’.
3 LX-25. standard galvanized iron, ladders to diagonal landings, 7x7’ metal cab.
4 LX-25. 80’. ladders to same side landings.
5 LS-40. 80’. stairs across center to center, 7x7’ metal cab.
6 LS-40 & MC-39. 33’ & 123’ Moses Mtn WA 1938.
7 MC-39. 46’. standard galvanized iron, stairs to diagonal landings, 7x7’ cab.
8 MC-39. 175’. tallest in US, Woodworth, MS.
9 LS-100. 30’ heavy galvanized iron w/ all metal 14x14’ cab.
Height chart for Aermotor towers: 6’9”, 13’6”, 22’6”, 33’, 45’9”, 59’3”, 79’6”, 99’9”, 110’, 123, 175’.
1 LX-24. light galvanized iron, 60’ w/ metal straight ladder, 7x7’ metal cab.
2 LX-24. 75’.
3 LX-25. standard galvanized iron, ladders to diagonal landings, 7x7’ metal cab.
4 LX-25. 80’. ladders to same side landings.
5 LS-40. 80’. stairs across center to center, 7x7’ metal cab.
6 LS-40 & MC-39. 33’ & 123’ Moses Mtn WA 1938.
7 MC-39. 46’. standard galvanized iron, stairs to diagonal landings, 7x7’ cab.
8 MC-39. 175’. tallest in US, Woodworth, MS.
9 LS-100. 30’ heavy galvanized iron w/ all metal 14x14’ cab.
Height chart for Aermotor towers: 6’9”, 13’6”, 22’6”, 33’, 45’9”, 59’3”, 79’6”, 99’9”, 110’, 123, 175’.
Contributors to this page were - Bill Starr, Rex Kamstra, and Ray Kresek.