Forest Fire Lookout Association recruiting local residents to volunteer for duty at Bald Mountain Lookout

Mammoth Lakes, CA, JULY 26, 2025 – The Forest Fire Lookout Association has partnered with the Inyo National Forest to re-activate the Bald Mountain Fire Lookout, and to staff it with volunteers to provide early fire detection on the Mono Lake Ranger District. The FFLA is seeking volunteers age 18 and over to assist at the lookout this and in future fire seasons. Volunteers will be trained by experienced lookout staff to detect and report wildfire smoke, assist in locating fires, and serve as docents to provide public information on the mountaintop. Volunteers who join the program are expected to work the equivalent of one 9:30am to 6pm shift per month during the June-October season. Shifts may be broken into 4-hour segments if enough people apply.

Training will consist of a 3-hour overview/orientation held in Mammoth Lakes on August 23 from 10am to 1pm (make-up arrangements will be made for those who cannot be there), followed by an optional tour of the tower; and then two or three in-tower sessions with experienced lookouts scheduled around your availability for September and October. The program will resume in June, 2026.

Training topics include safety, facility operations, scanning for and reporting smokes, lightning procedures, documentation, and radio protocols. Staffing a lookout requires physical stamina, adaptability, motivation, focus, professionalism and self-confidence.

A 10-minute project overview video at https://vimeo.com/1083153057 can help you decide if this public safety volunteer activity is appropriate for you. To register for the August 23rd session, or to ask questions, please e-mail Volunteer Coordinator Scott McClintock at [email protected].

News Staff