Fire towers on the lookout in the air, on ground

From almost 7,200 feet above sea level, the wildfire danger is easy to spot. Mount Ord is located astride the Gila/Maricopa county line, about 27 miles northeast of Fountain Hills.

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Other than its height, Ord is unremarkable, certainly when compared to the scenic Four Peaks nearby.

But unlike Four Peaks, Ord has a gently rounded top — perfect terrain for a U.S. Forest Service lookout tower. This is where Rob Brownell will make his home for the summer.

Brownell is an experienced lookout, having served for more than a decade in the South Dakota Black Hills. This will be his second year atop Mount Ord.

Until October, Brownell will be staring out upon a large chunk of Arizona. When the skies are clear, he can take in an expanse stretching from the Mogollon Rim on his north to the Sierra Estrellas and White Tank Mountains west of Phoenix.

There are seven towers covering the Tonto National Forest, plus another on the Rim in the Coconino National Forest. Among Brownell and his colleagues, eight pairs of eyes will be sweeping the horizon — and engaging in some friendly competition.

“You always want to be the first one to catch it,” Brownell, 51, said.

“It” is the telltale plume of smoke. Sometimes, it’ll be a thunderstorm setting ablaze some brush, and the Rim is a “lightning magnet,” according to a Forest Service official.

Also drawing lightning are the numerous communications transmitters and antennae set in a line near the lookout tower. Last summer, Brownell saw a bolt blast those towers — and 90 minutes later the mountaintop was clogged with repair pickup trucks from MCI, Verizon and other companies.

With reckless people causing many fires, Brownell knows to keep a close eye on state Route 87, the Beeline Highway, which snakes past Mount Ord.

The tower itself is a mix of dizziness, danger and comforts of home. If the 135 metal steps up into the thin air don’t take your breath away, then perhaps what will is a look down through the catwalk grating. From that vantage, the biggest drop is not the mile-plus to the desert floor but to the ground directly below.

Once inside the 14-by-14 interior, the tower takes on the look of a bachelor pad — if the bachelor liked decorating with maps.

Along one wall are a minifridge, gas range and microwave oven. In another corner, on an elevated platform is a recliner mounted on a 360-degree swivel; Brownell said he doesn’t sit there much, as it doesn’t give him a good vantage.

Brownell’s job is five days a week, 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The Tonto watchers’ days off are spread out so there’s always good coverage.

When he’s not working, Brownell can be found atop the mountain. He lives in a trailer with his wife of 26 years, Pam, and their dog, Shooter.

Hikers and bird-watchers are frequent visitors, and to them Brownell has a request: Respect the rule that the mountaintop is closed between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m.

Fire towers

When smoke rises from a wildfire, the network of U.S. Forest Service lookouts springs into action by quickly reporting the fire’s location. If the smoke can be seen from two towers, the bearings given by the lookouts can be plotted to find the exact spot of the fire.

Humboldt Mountain lookout

Height: 30 feet Elevation: 5,178 feet Year built: 1958 feet

Mount Ord lookout

Height: 102 feet Elevation: 7,088 feet Year built: 1983

Diamond Point lookout

Height: 30 feet Elevation: 6,157 feet Year built: 1936

Aztec Peak lookout

Height: n.a. Elevation: 7,728 feet Year built: 1956

Colcord lookout

Height: 83 feet Elevation: 7,449 feet Year built: 1965

McFadden Peak lookout

Height: 10 feet Elevation: 7,093 feet Year built: 1964

Signal Peak lookout

Height: 59 feet Elevation: 7,781 feet Year built: 1934

SOURCE: U.S. Forest Service