List of fire lookout towers in Louisiana

Louisiana has 13.8 million acres of forestlands covering approximately 48% of the total state area. The majority (62%) is owned by private, non-industrial landowners, forest industries own 29% and 9% are public lands. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), Office of Forestry, is tasked with timberland wildfire suppression.[1] and the state maintain eight district headquarters with seventeen divisions and many substations or yards.[2]

History

By Act 113 the Louisiana legislature created the Department of Forestry in 1904. The Department of Conservation was created by Act 144 in 1908. In 1915 funds were directed for fire protection work allowing the hiring of lookout watchmen or patrolmen. In 1917 public education for fire prevention work began. In 1922 the first steel fire tower was built near Bogalusa on Great Southern Lumber Company land. In 1923 the second tower was built near Urania. Prior to these two towers rungs were nailed to a pine tree with a perch erected near the top. By 1943 thirty-nine fire towers had been built and by 1950 the number had increased to fifty-six.[3]

List of fire towers

Many fire towers still exist with the majority being inactive but many are maintained in reserve.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Name Parish Nearest town or city Coordinates Status Notes
Abita lookout tower[4] St. Tammany Mandeville 30°26′14″N 90°02′45″W
Aimwell Lookout Tower Catahoula Aimwell (Northeast of Jena) 31°47′48″N 91°58′46″W Aimwell Lookout Tower
Angie Lookout tower Washington Angie Possibly torn down The USGS site lists the tower as "Angle"
Antiock Lookout Tower Claiborne Haynesville 32°52′45″N 93°00′33″W GNIS ID: 1630038
Antonia Lookout Tower Grant Pollock 31°36′06″N 92°25′14″W (30°57'54.0"N 89°51'23.0"W)
Athens Lookout Tower Claiborne Parish Athens Possibly torn down 323936N 0930335W
Bay Spring Lookout Tower LaSalle Parish Community of Little Creek 31°44'37.6"N 92°15'34.5"W
Gordon lookout tower[5] Beauregard Parish Still standing* Used on high wind days 30°28'46.9"N 93°20'11.0"W
  • Notes: Towers on the National Historic Lookout Register (NHLR)[6]

References
  1. "Forestry". LDAF. pp. 36–37. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  2. "LA Forestry Offices divisions" (PDF). LDAF. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  3. "Louisiana Statewide Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy" (PDF). LDAF. pp. 36–37. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  4. "Feature Detail Report for: Abita Lookout Tower". USGS. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  5. "Gordon Lookout Tower". USGS. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  6. "Welcome to the NHLR!". American Resources, Inc. and Forest Fire Lookout Association. Retrieved 12 August 2020.

General references

Central US lookouts

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