Vermont fire towers getting tuned up this summer

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermont’s historic fire towers will get a 21st-century tuneup this summer.

State officials say there are 16 fire towers spanning the Green Mountains. A new project focuses on eight towers standing on state land, including notable towers on Burke and Okemo mountains.

The work isn’t for the faint of heart. We’re talking construction workers rigged to the outside of towers high off the ground. It’s all to provide Vermonters with safer summer fun.

Forty-eight feet in the air, the Bear Hill fire tower at Allis State Park offers a sweeping view of the Green Mountains.

State Forest Recreation Specialist Walter Opuszynski is used to the climb.

“Oh, it’s breathtaking. Houses and villages, they just seem to be tucked in the rolling hills. I’m always impressed by how wooded the state is,” Opuszynski said.

His team just launched a project to restore eight fire towers across the state, starting on Burke Mountain and Bear Hill.

The towers were originally built to spot wildfires and protect Vermont’s landscape. Nearly a century later, they’re popular landmarks with wear and tear that pose a safety risk.

“We’re doing this to ensure that we not only have this element that speaks to all of the conservation history in Vermont, but is part of Vermont’s recreation future,” said Opuszynski.

Using a $450,000 grant, crews are adding fencing, metal grates on wooden stairs and an interior railing. They’re also grounding towers for lightning protection.

It’s hard work, but not quite as hard as what the original builders went through.

“These are young men and horses and oxen carrying equipment. It’s quite remarkable. There’s remarkable photographs of some of them sitting on these towers about to fall off,” said Mary Jo Llewellyn, an architectural historian.

Opuszynski says the state is working to secure more funding to renovate the rest of the towers over a few years. Once completed, they’ll preserve a piece of history for generations.

“It’s just encouraging people to get outside, be active, be healthy. Take in, you know, the beautiful views of Vermont,” said Opuszynski.

Opuszynski says it will take about four to six weeks to wrap up the renovations at Burke Mountain and Bear Hill.

They’re also submitting a request for proposal on Okemo Mountain.

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