At around 5:11 PM on August 17, 2023, our beloved Nahatlatch Lookout was consumed by a wildfire… 11 years almost to the day after it was rebuilt by the 4WDABC and SWATT (Southwest All Terrain Trails ATV Club).
The Kookipi Creek fire, started by lightning in steep terrain above Kookipi FSR on July 8, was considered “being held” and was still being actioned when strong winds came up, sending it north down the hill, over the Nahatlatch River, and up the mountain on the other side, where it engulfed the tower and Lyttonnet repeater, as well as many people’s properties.
The original lookout was built in the late 50s by the BC Forest Service and was one of the last operating fire lookouts in BC; at least two of our members were former operators in this tower when it was a functioning fire lookout! This beautifully reconstructed tribute to a classic design was one of our flagship rec sites, second in popularity only to Hale Creek, seeing hundreds of visitors annually, including four-wheelers, ORVs, two-wheelers, hikers, skiers, snowshoers, and snowmobilers. The views from the lookout were fantastic, looking south down the Fraser Canyon to Boston Bar, west out the Nahatlatch Valley, and even a bit of the Kookipi Pass. People would often camp at or even inside the tower. It served as many people’s introduction to the 4WDABC and was a point of pride for most of us. Our history rebuilding this one pretty much from scratch was a big part of landing maintenance contracts for the Lavina (Kaslo), Cornwall (Ashcroft), and most recently, Greenstone (Kamloops) lookouts.
Of the 23 rec sites we look after around BC (including three other fire lookouts), it’s definitely one of the most well-known and popular: the drive up is scenic, sometimes scary, challenging but easily driveable by any stock 4×4 (and quite a few crossovers too!). It’s relatively close to the Lower Mainland, making it a great day trip. Before the November 2021 floods damaged Kookipi FSR, it was the centerpiece of a fun circle route, taking the Fraser Canyon one way and the dirt roads down East Harrison the other way. Side trips to Grizzly Falls and Clear Creek Hotsprings could nicely round out a long but spectacular day.
Naturally, the news has been heartbreaking for everyone who has worked on it, visited it, planned to visit it, or just admired it from afar as an example of what dedicated volunteers can do. On the bright side, it’s given us some excellent exposure and provided a rallying point for people wanting to see it rebuilt – we’ve had offers of labour, of course, but also of donations of materials, money, and all sorts of ideas for swag, decals, patches, and so on to support the rebuild. We’ve spoken only briefly so far with Rec Sites and Trails BC (I imagine everyone there is pretty swamped these days), but we expect to have all the support we could hope for from them as well, as we’ve long had an amazing relationship with the BC government.
The scale of the catastrophe caused by the wildfires is so huge and overwhelming that it can make people feel powerless to affect any real change. The fire tower rebuild is a project of manageable size in contrast to the epic disaster unfolding across the province. As close as this site is to us, we also feel for those who have lost homes in this and other fires. The residents and cabin owners in the Nahatlatch area have long appreciated our presence there, and our members have always tried to be respectful of them, particularly in travelling slowly through their properties. Several members have now been in contact, wondering about helping them out if they need rebuilding, repairs, etc. Assisting the larger community has always been a big part of our ethos, and once things calm down, we do expect to be reaching out to them when the time comes.
YES, I WANT TO HELP!
Mentions In The News
Photos from the aftermath, courtesy of Lytton Area Wireless Society (Lytonnet)
When the rebuilding time arrives.
Please let me know.
If possible when that time comes.
Id love to help.
I logged as a kid in the back end of the Nahatlatch Valley for a company called Catermole briefly.
Special area..
Would nice to be part of this.
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Although I have never made it up to the Nahatlatch Lookout, I fully support the journey to rebuild. I was a member of SWATT and know many of those that helped rebuild the tower.
I hope that a visit there will happen for me some day.
Looking forward to getting the community together to rebuild this incredible public space.
can’t help, but can donate to the rebuild
I hope to be able to help rebuild. I also have a 16 foot flat deck and can help move supplies
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I wanted to make a trip there soon. Unfortunately that happened but in the other hand I could make my visit more meaningful. Building, fixing is what I do in life and I’m all in for participating in the rebuilt of this gem.
Seeing all these fires is heartbreaking and my heart goes to the people evacuated that will or may never see their place the way it was
Count us in to help have tools generator extension cords and a truck to haul materials in
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Count us in too, we’ll be waiting!
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A special place for many of us. I hope to help out in the rebuild when the time comes.
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Looking forward to helping however we can!!
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Any thoughts of rebuild the Thynne Tower that burnt down years ago ?
I have a wood workshop at home (Vancouver) and I’m also a 4WDABC member. Would love to help by building stuff for the lookout!
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I have a woodworking business so I can bring up finishing tools, pretty handy with most things. I have a 6’4” truck bed trailer with high clearance and could haul a load up.
My best time of the year for availability would be late spring, busy during summer months, then late summer into when the snow starts to fall.
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Camped at the lake a few years back and had a great ride up to the Lookout. It was after a Long Weekend so the “yahoos” were out and caused the road to be closed. We thought we’d ask it we could just park there and the lovely owners of the property allowed us to drive through there campground and continue on our way. You guys did an awesome job of the restoration.
We at Sunbelt Rentals would like to contribute for this project. If you need it, we’ll have it. Contact info sent.
Contact info received! Thanks Sandy! The work is probably a couple of years off, with all the safety issues and approvals to take care of, but we’ll definitely be in touch when the time comes!
I just want to say, I am a carpenter by trade, have built structures just like this and have a property out in Deroche that we could build some of the structure in pieces and transport up to the site. I could also help with transportation as I have a 12 foot flat deck 4×4 f450. Also have way too many cordless tools and batteries. Have also done many similar builds out in the woods for the film industry
I want to help, but physically I cannot due to my legs getting worse year by year.
By the time the Firetower is rebuilt, I might not even be able to drive up there myself,