Reviewed by Jeanne
While the title might sound dull to some, this book is a
little gem of local history. Sorrell has
done a very thorough job of telling the history of fire towers in the area,
starting in 1910. In the early years,
fire towers were the only game in town for spotting wildfires. Nowadays, fire spotters have largely been replaced
or supplemented by technology, though some towers remain staffed either by
employees or volunteers. Even the abandoned ones remain as points of interest
for hikers and locals.
Sorrell tells the story chronologically, beginning with the
first towers as it became obvious there was a need for lookouts after some
damaging fires. This was a bit more controversial than one would think: according
to Sorrell the prevailing attitude was that fires were “a force of nature that
could not be abated or prevented.” Some
of the early towers were built either by communities or companies, while
conservationist and forest enthusiast Gifford Pinchot championed the building
of a network of towers to help manage the potential damage from fires.
But let me just jump ahead to “the good stuff”—the wealthy of
local stories and information about the towers.
I am not a fire tower buff myself (not crazy about heights) but even I
have heard of a number of these towers.
During the fall, people talk about going up to the Mendota fire tower to
get the best views of the foliage. Wise County’s High Knob Tower was so iconic that
it was rebuilt not once but twice
after it was destroyed by fire in the 1970s and again in 2007. The newest
tower, dedicated in 2014, is considered fireproof.
Long time residents will enjoy that Sorrell has several
references to local journalist Jack Kestner who wrote about his love for the
mountains and even did a stint as a watcher in a fire tower. (Fun fact: Kestner wrote a novel entitled Fire Tower,
set in West Virginia.) There is a good index, which helped me find the areas I
was especially interested in, and I certainly enjoyed the photos but honestly I
could have read the entire book. Sorrell
has an engaging manner of writing that made me want to read more even if I didn’t
know the area he was writing about. It’s
a gift that not all non-fiction writers have, so I really appreciate it in
those that do.
If you have any interest in local history in general, I
recommend giving this book a try.
