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State Fire Towers To Leave The Landscape

en.wikipedia.org

Another landmark of mainly northern Wisconsin will soon be leaving the landscape.

The DNR announced late last week the fire towers used to spot out of control fires were being eliminated.

Built in the 1930's and 1940's, the towers at the time were the front line to protect Wisconsin's forests. But Trent Marty, director of DNR's bureau of forest protection, says the cost of replacing the towers and modern technology were factors in their demise...

"....when the towers were built in the 1930's and '40's, there were a lot less people on the landscape in northern half of the state where our critical fire protection areas are cellphones...there's lots of people on the ground now. Most of these people have cell phone access...."

Marty estimated the cost to replace the 72 towers to be in the neighborhood of $25 million.

In their heyday, the there were 119 towers staffed around Wisconsin. Towers are typically around 100 feet tall and made of steel with a 7-by-7 foot cab at the top.

Last year, the DNR staffed 60 fire lookout towers, many of which are located on private property with easement rights. Following its evaluation, Marty said DNR is now in the process of notifying private landowners and presenting options for the future of the towers and the sites.

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