>> >>ERIK: THE LATEST WUM WEAPON IN SAN DIEGO FIRE FIGHTING IS AN INFRARED CAMERA MOUNTED
ON THE BOTTOM OF A PLANE.
THE PEEK THROUGH THE CLOUDS OF SMOKE AND SEARCH OUT A WILDFIRE'S FLAMES.
IT'S JUST ONE HIGH TECH AIMED SQUARELY AT WILD FIRES.
OTHER EXPLOIT HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIONS.
>> >>: WE LOOK AT THIS MAP AND IT WAS MOSTLY RED TO SHOW HOW HOT, HUNDRED DEGREE PLUS DAYS
DIRKS SAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC'S DAVID WEBER LOVE TO SHOW OFF HIS HIGH TECH TOOLS SMVMENT
TIMES THE NEWEST HIGH TECH TOOL ISN'T THE BEST.
SOME CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST FIRE FIGHTERS ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR FLAMES IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA COUNTY, THE SAME WAY THEY'VE DONE IT FROM THE 1920S, FROM A METAL TOWER PUNCHED
ON A PEEK NEAR LAKE MORENO.
>> >>: THE TOWER WORKS BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING FROM IT.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WAY TO THE BEACH, SEVERAL MILES IN N TO MEXICO, IMPERIAL COUNTY, OUT
INTO THE DESERT LANDS, WHERE THEY FARM AND DO THEIR BURNING, THEN YOU CAN SEE ALL THE
WAY TO THE MOUNTAINS INTO SAN BERNADINO.
>> >>: IT FEELS LIKE HOME.
>> >>ERIK: NORM MITCHELL LIVES HERE FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
HE COOKS, CLEANS, EATS AND SLEEPS HERE.
MORE IMPORTANTLY HE WATCHES FOR SIGNS OF SMOKE.
>> >>: I SCAN, I SCAN THE RIDGE TOPS AND THERE HAD PLACES THAT ARE MORE INCLINED TO BURN
THAN OTHERS.
AND I CONCENTRATE INTO THE WILDERNESS.
>> >>ERIK: WHEN HE SEES A WISP OF SMOKE, HE PUTS HIS OSBOURNE FIRE FINDING TO WORK.
THE BARREL SIZED DISK THAT HOLDS A MAP IN SIGHTS IS THE HEART OF LOOK OUT OPERATIONS,
IT DOMINATES THE MIDDLE OF THIS TOWER ROOM.
>> >>: WE'LL LOOK THROUGH THE REAL SIGHT AND PUT THE VERTICAL STRAIN DOWN THROUGH THE SENT
OR F WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE LOCATING.
>> >>ERIK: THIS IS SOMETHING EVEN THE BEST CAMERAS CANNOT DO.
THEY CANNOT GIVE THE PRECISE LOCATIONS CORRECTLY AND QUICKLY LIKE AN EXPERIENCED FIRE SPOTTER
CAN.
>> >>: I WOULD PUT A TIME, I'D GO 1154, AND I'D COME OVER HERE AND GO 5, 6, 7, 357 DEGREES,
30 MINUTES, AND THEN I WOULD START TO COUNT OUT TO WHERE IT WAS AT, TO MIDDLE PEEK.
>> >>ERIK: MITCHELL GREW UP IN THE ROLLING HILLS OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND WAS DRAWN
TO THIS TOWER'S REMOTE LOCATION FOR EIGHT YEARS, HE HIKED TWELVE MILES TO GET HERE,
AND FIVE DAYS LETTER, TWELVE MILES TO GET HOME.
THERE'S A PAVED ROAD NOW AND THE WILDERNESS HAS A FEW MORE VISITORS.
>> >>: WE'VE GOT THIS IN HERE, HIKING, NO MOTOR VEHICLES IN THERE, MOUNTAIN BIKES AND
HIKING, HORSES, IF THEY CHOOSE TO.
THIS IS A FOUR BY FOUR ROCK CRAWLING AND TWO WHEELING, SINGLE TRACK TRAIL OFF ROADING.
>> >>ERIK: THERE MAY BE MORE PEOPLE THAN WHEN MITCHELL STARTED WORKING HERE, BUT HE SAYS
IT'S STILL BACK COUNTRY AND THE BACK COUNTRY'S BEAUTY CARRIES A PRICE.
>> >>: PEACEFUL, ROUGH, DANGEROUS, THIS IS NATURE.
THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
AND PEOPLE GET HUNG UP IN IT SOMETIMES AND THEY GET HURT.
THEY GET OVER TAKEN BY THE EXTREME THAT THIS IS IN HERE.
>> >>ERIK: THE CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST JASON KRAILING SAYS THERE USED TO BE THOUSANDS OF
LOOK OUT TOWERS IN THE WEST.
TECHNOLOGY, POLLUTION AND TIGHT BUDGETS CONSPIRED TO SHUT MANY OF THEM DOWN.
BUT THIS LOOK OUT HAS ENDURED IN LARGE PART BECAUSE MITCHELL AND OTHERS ARE SO GOOD AT
THEIR JOBS.
>> >>: THEY LOOK DOWN ON IT ALL DAY, THEY KNOW THE PEEKS, THEY KNOW WHICH ROADS, THEY
KNOW THE TRAILS.
AND WHEN YOU STARE AT SOMETHING LONG ENOUGH, THEY KNOW WHAT'S NOT SUPPOSE SAID TO BE THERE.