The fire lookout tower atop Mount Konocti, whose volunteers have reported dozens of just-started fires in the past five seasons, has been declared unsafe and is now shut down.
The tower had been reopened in 2015 by the volunteer group Forest Fire Lookout Association after 12 years out of service.
The inspection that found the safety issues was prompted by the resumption of tour buses to Mount Konocti, on Clear Lake’s west shore. The lookout is on the area’s highest point, 4,299-foot Wright Peak.
Cal Fire inspectors on October 3 found cracks in one of the 50-foot tower’s support beams along with floor and roof damage. Two days later, the tower was closed.
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jake Hannan stressed the seriousness of the safety problem, but also of the need to get the tower back in operation.
“It wasn’t safe to have people in it,” Hannan said.