r/firelookouts

Yesterday was an interesting experience. I haven’t visited a fire lookout since I was a kid. I got a random urge and decided to go yesterday for sunset. Shortly after arriving, I noticed a small puff of smoke in the distance. I thought “surely that’s not a new fire”. I pondered it for a minute, and decided to make the call. It was a brand new fire. Hot shots arrived about 45 minutes later, and the fire is contained to 100 acres today.

This was the “Bronco Fire” in Tonto National Forest.

The hike up wasn’t long, but it was all uphill and rocky. The views all around were spectacular. Overnight the winds were definitely howling and it got a little chilly, but nothing too uncomfortable. The next morning the skies were partly cloudy but soon changed and we were getting light snowfall. It was definitely a memorable stay.