On the Lookout

On the Lookout. Written by Mike Vago. Focus question. What is the job of a fire lookout, and why is it important?

《火情瞭望》 作者：迈克·瓦戈 思考问题： 森林防火瞭望员的工作是什么，这份工作为什么很重要？

Forest fires can spread quickly and do a lot of damage. Keeping our forests safe are fire lookouts, men and women who spend their summers deep in the woods. They keep a sharp eye out for smoke, ready to alert firefighters at the first sign of danger. Steve Cowling has been a fire out since 1990. Every summer, he spends three months atop a tower in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness area. This huge forest covers parts of Montana and Idaho.

森林火灾蔓延速度很快，会造成巨大破坏。 守护森林安全的就是森林防火瞭望员，他们整个夏天都驻守在森林深处。 他们时刻警惕着烟雾，一发现危险征兆就会立刻通知消防员。 史蒂夫·考林从1990年就开始做瞭望员了。 每年夏天，他都要在塞尔韦-比特鲁特荒野的一座瞭望塔上待三个月。 这片广袤的森林横跨蒙大拿州和爱达荷州的部分区域。

interviewer. How did you become a lookout? Steve. I was hiking and met a wilderness ranger. We were talking about her job, which was to hike around and check trails and campsites. I thought that sounded like a great way to spend the summer. The Forest Service wasn't hiring any rangers, but they had a fire lookout quit that morning. I went into the ranger station and asked if I could be a lookout. It was that simple in those days.

记者： 你是怎么成为瞭望员的？ 史蒂夫： 我徒步的时候遇到了一位荒野护林员。 我们聊了她的工作，就是四处巡逻，检查步道和营地。 我觉得这样过夏天听起来太棒了。 林务局当时不招护林员，不过那天早上刚好有个瞭望员辞了职。 我就去护林站问我能不能当瞭望员。 那时候事儿就这么成了，很简单。

interviewer. What is your station like? Are there different kinds? Steve, my lookout is a wooden tower 50 feet 15 meters tall with a cabin on top. It's 14 by 14 feet 4 by 4 meters with a peaked roof and a deck around the outside of it. It has four walls of windows. In good light, I can see 60 to 80 miles, 97 to 129 kilometers in some directions. There are other styles. Some are cabins right on the high ground.

记者： 你的瞭望站是什么样的？ 有不同的类型吗？ 史蒂夫：我的瞭望站是一座50英尺（15米）高的木塔，塔顶有一间小屋。 小屋长宽都是14英尺（4米），是尖顶设计，屋外环绕着一圈露台。 四面墙全都是窗户。 光线好的时候，有些方向我能看到60到80英里（97到129公里）远。 还有其他样式的瞭望站。 有些就是直接建在高地上的小屋。

interviewer how do you travel to and from the station steve it's an eight mile 13 kilometer hike at the beginning of the year i'll get a helicopter ride to fly up with all of my supplies every month they drop off more stuff and that's almost always with a helicopter they bring food and things like paint or a new window if i've broken one

记者：你怎么往返瞭望站？史蒂夫：单程要徒步8英里（13公里），季初我会搭直升机把全部补给运上去，每个月他们还会投送更多物资 投送几乎都用直升机，他们会送来食物，还有油漆这类用品，如果我打碎了窗户，还会送来新窗户

interviewer. What is a day at the station like? Steve, I wake up when it gets light, which is what happens when you have four walls of windows. First thing in the morning is a good time to take a look around. You might spot a small fire that you can watch for later in the day. After that first look around, I hike about half a mile, one kilometer, to get water from a spring. Then, I make breakfast. The forest ranger will check in on the radio and read the weather. Wind, high temperatures, and low humidity are the things that worry firefighters the most because they can make fires worse.

记者： 你在瞭望站的一天是怎么过的？ 史蒂夫：天一亮我就醒了，毕竟四面都是窗户，天亮就自然醒了。 早上第一件事就是好好巡视一圈四周。 有可能提前发现小火点，白天就能持续关注。 第一轮巡视结束后，我会徒步大约半英里（1公里），去一处泉水取水。 之后我就做早餐。 护林员会通过电台报到，播报天气情况。 大风、高温、低湿度是最让消防员担心的，因为这些条件会让火势恶化。