The Fire Lookout Host Program, one of the six programs of the Southern California Mountains Foundation (formerly the National Forest Association), is recruiting volunteers to staff fire lookouts for the 2013 fire season.

Lookout volunteers help to protect the forest and local mountains communities as well as the communities along the outside of the forest boundary from the threat of fire. They also act as hosts to the many visitors that frequent the lookout towers.

New lookout volunteer training begins April 6. To be a fire lookout host, volunteers are required to work eight hours a month, mostly between the months of May through November.

To be a lookout, participants must complete several hours and four sessions of training:

  1. Orientation: two-hour introduction to the program.
  2. Interpretation/Natural History: three-hour class.
  3. Operations: all day seven-hour class.
  4. In-Tower Training: eight hours, hands-on training that takes place in the lookout with an experienced host.

The dates and locations for new volunteer orientation are below:

  • Keenwild Fire Station (28500 Highway 243, approximately 1⁄2 mile north of Highway 74, Idyllwild), April 6 from 10 a.m. to noon and April 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Lake Arrowhead County Fire Station 91 (301 S Hwy 173, Lake Arrowhead), April 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Del Rosa Training Center (4121 Quail Canyon Road, San Bernardino), April 13 from 10 a.m. to noon and April 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Dates and additional information can be found on the Southern California Mountains Foundation website, mountainsfoundation.org/fire-lookouts/fire-lookout-hosts/training.

Contact the lookout host program coordinators, George and Pam Morey at (909) 225-1025 or e-mail at [email protected].