Cedro Peak Fire Lookout Tower – Cibola National Forest NM

Description

From the Albuquerque Journal, April 23, 1935:

“A new fire lookout tower, rearing it’s steel frame more than 45 feet above the summit of Cedro Peak in the Scandia mountains, and a new automobile road leading to it are rapidly nearing completion, according to Cibola National Forest officials.

Visibility will be greatly increased by replacing the antiquated 30 foot pole tower of years past, and within 30 days another important link will be welded into the chain of fire prevention agencies of the Forest Service.

CCC boys from Camp Manzano, under Forest Service supervision are pushing construction in preparation for the fire season of approximately May 15 to July 15.

Cedro Peak, rising above Cedro Canyon, was accessible only by trail in former days. Connection between Tijeras Ranger Station and the peak will be made from the Cedro Canyon highway, by way of Sabino Canyon road, going by the Riedling Fox Farm. The road will be about eight miles long. Construction of the last two miles, from the Fox farm to the peak, is expected to be completed within a month.

Modern in every respect, the tower will be fully enclosed and have inside steel steps instead of the old outside ladder. Electric lights for the lookout’s quarters will be made possible by a connection with the power line which supplies the airway beacon located alongside. But water will still have to be packed in.

During the past few years, no large fires have hit the Sandias. Numerous forest trails, graded roads, co-operation between ranchers and rangers, and eternal vigilance during the six to ten weeks of the fire season have been responsible in most part for stemming the ravaging tide of fire.”

-Forest Lookouts