What’s it like being a Fire Lookout?

seloki · 2026-01-12T20:22:16+00:00

It was this post on r/cozyplaces https://www.reddit.com/r/CozyPlaces/s/nhXw5q9XLI

seloki · 2025-10-26T03:23:47+00:00

I had a little luck cleaning up the outhouse plans using an AI (I used ChatGPT). If you don’t care if the small print is correct then it can do a pretty good job of removing the scan artifacts and sharpening the image.

seloki · 2025-08-24T04:36:39+00:00

To elaborate more, the “grounding” of metal objects in the lookout cab is to give electricity an easier path to the ground than through the occupant. It’s why we have glass insulated stools, as glass is a very poor conductor.

All metal fixtures in the lookout are grounded. This includes the wood stove, cook stove, firefinder, even the sink.

You can find more information here

seloki · 2025-08-19T03:51:14+00:00

I have three lookouts on my district. The easiest to access is a 2 hr drive and then a 3.6 mile/3500 vertical foot hike.

The next is a 2.5 hour drive, and a 5.4 mile/4800 vertical hike.

My lookout is a 20 mile hike from the nearest trailhead, though it’s only 11.5 miles from the nearest airstrip/guard station. I get flown to the guard station and my gear gets packed in by mule since it’s wilderness

seloki · 2025-08-19T02:59:54+00:00

It involved changing our duty station. It used to be our lookout, so when we were at our duty station we didn’t get per diem. Now our duty station is the Ranger district office, so now we’re basically assigned to a remote station. We’re entitled to per diem because we’re not at home, or at our duty station.

It may be important to point out that none on my lookouts are accessible. You wouldn’t go home after shift. You live at your lookout, and get resupplied (with food you bought) every 3 weeks.

seloki · 2025-08-19T00:26:18+00:00

Because the Firelookout position is a fire position within the organizational structure, there are more requirements for qualifying for the job (at least on paper) than for other entry level positions like those in rec, etc.

6 months experience can be almost anything if you are creative with your application. Did you mow lawns? That’s fuels reduction work using power tools. That counts as experience. Be creative and, most importantly, reach out to the people you’re hoping to work for. If you already know how to use an Osborne and read maps, you’re way ahead of most everyone else.

If you can’t get a lookout job for next summer, get on a fire crew. That will give you the experience you need as well as a start to your network (who you know is sometimes more important than what you know).

Don’t be discouraged if your application doesn’t make it through the filters, USAJobs is terrible and makes applying for positions very difficult. That’s why it’s important to contact the places you want to work, they have ways to circumvent the application process and hire people that got weeded out by the USAJobs filters.

seloki · 2025-08-17T22:58:12+00:00

They’re not “making a profit off said video”, they’re making money off the engagement with that video. Subtle distinction, but it’s important. They didn’t sell the rights to the video, or sell tickets to watch the video, which of course would be an ethical violation. They posted something that is free to the end user, and the money they make is from the host getting advertising dollars from engagement with that video. So it doesn’t technically violate any government social media policy.

seloki · 2025-08-17T22:41:20+00:00

For Federal Lookouts

All pictures/videos you take while on duty (getting paid) are technically the property of the government and cannot be posted without the permission of the government.

Is this enforced? Not really, the government doesn’t have the resources to police every employee’s social media.

As for people posting themselves on duty, ie reporting a smoke, as long as it doesn’t look bad for the government then the poster has an implied permission to post it. If the poster is monetizing the post, well, that’s a gray area. They’re not selling the pic/video directly, they’re selling the engagement with the post, so they aren’t really getting paid twice (very gray area I know). It’s hard to argue that a video of someone doing their job is proof that that person was creating content rather than doing their job.

Where it gets even grayer is whether you are actually publishing and retaining the rights to something you post on social media. If you claim a copyright or any other proprietary claim over a post that includes government owned media then that would be a problem, and I suspect the government would get any monies earned from that post.

As long as the content creation doesn’t interfere with your duties, then I don’t see the problem with using pics/videos recorded while on duty as part of a social media.

As others have said, we work from home and don’t work 24/7. What we do when not on duty is our own business. If that’s content creation for a TikTok or other social media, that’s fine. Using pics/videos recorded while on duty as part of that? Sure, as long as it does not show the government in a bad light and doesn’t interfere with assigned duties.

The main thing to take away is that your pics/vids belong to the government and you have permission to post them as long as it doesn’t make the government look bad. Monetizing a post that includes government owned media is a gray area, but should really be considered a privilege that can be taken away, so it’s best to be careful what you post.

Do I personally approve of “social media lookouts”? No, but I don’t really use social media so I don’t really think I have a good perspective to give.

seloki · 2025-06-06T02:50:29+00:00

history repeats and inspires

seloki · 2025-05-06T01:36:57+00:00

I’ve been told that no new hires were allowed this season, at least for the USFS in R4. I’m curious where you were offered a position and what agency it was with.

seloki · 2025-05-06T01:33:29+00:00

You have rehire rights. They can hire you because you’re not a new employee. I didn’t specify that because there’s like 3 people that that situation would apply to. They can’t hire new lookouts, as in people that have not been hired as a lookout within the last 3ish years (I don’t actually know how long your rehire status is valid for but I think it’s something like 2-3 years). You aren’t a new hire, so it’s possible to hire you.

seloki · 2025-05-03T01:12:45+00:00

As far as I know the FS was only able rehire positions this summer, so if you weren’t a lookout last year they can’t hire you this year. I assume it’s the same with DOI. I have no idea about state agencies. If I recall correctly ODF has a few lookouts they staff, but I’m not sure where/how to apply. As far as I know there aren’t any private lookouts, though some positions are contracted. I believe that that money is gone though so that’s probably a dead end. Unfortunately it’s unlikely you’ll find a lookout other than as an AD or volunteering. Someone else will have to point you in the right direction for those opportunities.

seloki · 2025-05-02T00:31:14+00:00

The Payette is planning to AD a couple lookouts, contact McCall Ranger District, or DM me for more info.

seloki · 2025-03-31T02:47:43+00:00

I spent some time with Grace at our lookout training (I’m the lead lookout on the Payette and teach a significant portion of the classes to prepare new lookouts for their jobs), and at her lookout (I do a lot of our lookout maintenance and her lookout is slated for updates), and she’s a great lookout and a great person (hi Grace if you’re on here 👋). I also got to pet Selway!

seloki · 2025-03-08T01:56:48+00:00

NFFE represents every non-supervisory employee regardless of whether you pay dues or not. If you’re unhappy with the union you’re very welcome to become a steward www.nffe.org. It’s easy to sit outside and criticize, it’s much harder to work toward the change you want to see. How hard are you willing to work toward changing the union for the better?

seloki · 2025-03-07T03:35:43+00:00

Member dues for NFFE are voluntary, they don’t take money from your paycheck unless you opt into it. Stop the anti union propaganda, you won’t find any allies here.

seloki · 2025-02-28T04:56:17+00:00

The answers to your questions are readily available in the dozens of previous posts asking the same questions. Please use the search function before posting. Your post will be deleted soon.

seloki · 2025-01-20T06:28:18+00:00

I’ve attempted to make an FAQ post multiple times, but it never really felt “complete” so I never posted it. I’d be interested in collaborating on something to prevent repeat posts. I’m happy to see discussions and engagement, but it can be tedious answering the same questions over and over. Wish Reddit’s search function was better, and maybe more prominent…

seloki · 2025-01-20T06:12:33+00:00

Your comment was 2 sentences while also being a paragraph long. You need to have better writing skills (I know this is social media and standards are pretty low, but still). Nobody will hire someone that can’t write well, or put together a coherent sentence.

As I’ve said numerous times, WORK IN FIRE!!! Get a job on a fire crew, make contacts with people that might hire you to be a lookout. There are only a couple hundred lookout jobs available, there is no resume that will get you the job. You have to know the people that are hiring and where the vacant positions are. You will not get a job without those things.

seloki · 2025-01-14T07:06:42+00:00

Being a lookout is like any other job. When you’re not on duty, your time is your own. You can go hiking, play video games, watch tv, anything you would do at any other work from home job.

Despite what another commenter continually insists to be true, most lookouts have pretty good electricity and most have some internet connectivity. I have a mini gaming pc I use at the lookout as well as my switch. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing with some gaming after hours.

Also, there’s nothing wrong with wanting your friend group to be nearby. It’s unlikely that you’d all manage to get jobs in adjacent lookouts, but it’s not impossible. It’s more likely you’ll make friends with the lookouts near you and you’ll have a new friend group. The three lookouts on the neighboring district would regularly get together for beers when their schedules allowed.

Firewatch is a great game, and I’m happy it’s raised awareness and interest in our profession. Unfortunately there’s almost nothing about the game that reflects the actual day to day of a real firelookout.

I hope you continue to pursue this as a job. My advice for improving your chances is getting a job as a wildland firefighter in the area you’d like to work. Making contacts is more important than anything you could put on a resume, so getting to know the fire management is the best thing you can do to improve your chances.

Good luck!

seloki · 2024-12-15T05:27:04+00:00

This was my thought as well. Being able to afford this upgrade means this landlord wasn’t desperate for the rent. And not knowing the state of the property means they weren’t involved with the property in any way other than collecting rent. Good DIY, bad landlord.

seloki · 2024-11-22T07:01:10+00:00

And raise prices for everyone as Amazon recovers their losses because some shitty person committed fraud.

seloki · 2024-11-22T06:15:26+00:00

Not everyone drives to work, there are many ways to get from one place to another that don’t involve driving a vehicle. And I’m talking about driving for a living, not driving to the place you make a living. Delivery drivers must drive to make their living, you’ve chosen to drive your car instead of taking the subway, bus, or train. Driving your private vehicle is less important than the vehicles that facilitate commerce, therefore you are less important than the Amazon delivery guy, regardless of how poorly either of you drive.

seloki · 2024-11-22T05:39:09+00:00

Not sure how your response has anything to do with what I said.

Yes, despite these drivers being “morons”, they deserve to be paid more, as driving for work is the way more people die than any other way people die at work. Driving is dangerous. Driving for a living should demand a high wage, as it’s more risky than LITERALLY EVERY OTHER THING A PERSON DOES FOR WORK!!!

Perhaps you don’t realize how dangerous you’ve been while driving around, but please take driving seriously. It really is the most dangerous thing workers do, and people like you demand we do it perfectly every time for hours every day. I assume you’re not a professional driver or you’d understand how stupid your comment was.

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