Welcome to the MVFFLA
We are excited to announce a new non-profit Forest Fire Lookout Association subchapter in North Central Washington State, the Methow Valley Forest Fire Lookout Association (MVFFLA). Our organization will be partnering with the Methow Valley Ranger District and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest to help preserve eight historic fire lookouts in the District.
We provide organizational structure, fundraising, and volunteers to assist the Forest Service with overseeing maintenance needs on our local fire lookouts as well as preserving their history.
The MVFFLA is chaired by FFLA members Christine Estrada, who has volunteer staffed Goat Peak since 2020, and Mike Liu, the retired former Methow Valley District Ranger. Together they have built a dedicated volunteer base that led to the official formation of the MVFFLA subchapter.
Two of the eight lookouts in the Methow Valley Ranger District are among the last of their kind: a D-6 cupola at North Twentymile that is celebrating a milestone centennial this year, and a tiny L-5 lookout at Mebee Pass built in the 1930s. Our organization will be primarily focused this year on work parties at these two historically significant lookouts as well as the North Twentymile centennial celebration. The MVFFLA's other goals this season are fundraising, strengthening our volunteer base, developing our partnership with the Methow Valley Ranger District, and building strategic plans for the future.
North Twentymile Centennial
The D-6 cupola at North Twentymile was beautifully restored in 2015 thanks to the efforts of the late Bob Pfeifer, a retired WDFW fish biologist and FFLA member, with help from other volunteers. Many consider the D-6 at North Twentymile to be the most true to its original design of any remaining. The site also features an L-4 tower built in 1947.
The MVFFLA is planning a series of work parties and outreach events this year to celebrate the centennial of the cupola, with plans to repaint both lookouts and reroof the L-4 tower. Our first work party will be held at the beginning of May to log out and retread parts of the hiking trail to the summit. The goal is to make the trail once again stock passable for the centennial. We invite interested volunteers to keep an eye out for upcoming events.
Mebee Pass Restoration
The L-5 lookout at Mebee Pass was saved from certain demise by Barry George, John Scurlock, now retired Methow Valley District Ranger Mike Liu, and other dedicated volunteers. The last completed restoration work on Mebee was completed in 2013 by the Friends of Mebee Pass.
Thanks to the carpentry skills of David Adams and a $500 donation of materials from the Carpenters Local 70 (now 425) in Burlington, Mebee’s temporary plywood shutters will be replaced with beautiful new shutters built from historic blueprints. The MVFFLA is working in partnership with the Methow Valley Ranger District to develop a plan to airlift the shutters and other supplies to the lookout this season. Replacing these shutters are critical for continued protection of this historically significant lookout, one of the last of its kind.
Here are the other six lookouts in the Methow Valley Ranger District the MVFFLA will be helping to preserve:
First Butte, an L-4 built in 1938 that narrowly escaped the 2021 Cub Creek 2 fire. Sadly, the historic ground house was lost in the fire. The lookout was freshly painted just before the fire thanks to volunteers from Filson and the National Forest Foundation.
Slate Peak, the second highest fire lookout in Washington State, an L-4 tower built in 1956.
Monument 83, a twin lookout site on Holdover Peak along the United States-Canada border. The summit is home to both a log cabin built in 1930 on Canadian soil and an L-4 tower built in 1952 on United States soil. Monument 83 narrowly escaped the 2022 Parks/Heather Lake fire and access to the site is difficult.
Goat Peak, a timber L-4 lookout built in 1950, still actively staffed by the Methow Valley Ranger District.
Mount Leecher, an L-4 tower built in 1954, still actively staffed by the Methow Valley Ranger District and home to Lightning Bill Austin.
Lookout Mountain near Twisp, an L-4 tower built in 1937, recently repainted by volunteers in fall of 2021.
Interested in helping? Join us!
The MVFFLA is always on the “lookout” for lookout enthusiasts. Sign up to be a volunteer, check out our upcoming work parties and events, or become a member. If you have histories and photos of our historic lookouts, reach out, we’d love to hear from you!
The MVFFLA is a subchapter of the national 501(c)(3) Forest Fire Lookout Association and donations are tax-deductible. These donations are used to support the MVFFLA and our efforts to preserve the Methow Valley's eight historic lookouts and are not donations to the U.S. Forest Service.
