DEM ANNOUNCES THAT PUBLIC IS INVITED TO CLIMB FIRE TOWER AT CHOPMIST FORESTRY HEADQUARTERS DURING OCTOBER 14-15 OPEN HOUSE

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that on Saturday, October 14th and Sunday, October 15th, the public is invited to climb the fire tower at the Division of Forest Environment's Chopmist Headquarters at 1037 Hartford Pike (Route 101) in North Scituate.

According to state foresters, the site has an interesting history. The first forest fire lookout tower, built on Chopmist Hill in 1917, was replaced in 1926 by a 65-foot tall steel fire tower. It was staffed by a fire observer, whose responsibilities included gathering and recording the daily fire weather data used to predict the possibility and intensity of forest fires, early detection of forest fires, and helping to coordinate the on-ground fire suppression efforts. Beginning in 1930, the Chopmist tower was manned by one the state's most devoted fire observers, Mrs. Louise Ide, who was still walking the 15 minutes to and from work every day at age 71. Mrs. Ide finally retired in 1955, after 25 years of dedicated service.

State foresters note that spotting smoke and fires was not the only responsibility assigned to fire observers. During World War II, all fire observers throughout the region were trained to look for and report suspicious activities such as planes and/or flashing lights. There was a fear, they say, that the enemy might start forest fires along the coast to mask an impending invasion, or to cause general disruption, as was attempted on the west coast of the United States. On May 4th, 1945 while on a routine aerial patrol, Forest Ranger George E. Matteson spotted a German U-boat in the waters off Pt. Judith, which he promptly reported to the U.S. Navy Station in Newport. The next day the Navy depth-charged and sank U-853, today a popular destination for scuba divers.

The current tower was built in 1967. It stands 85 feet tall, well above the surrounding forest canopy, offering observers a 360-degree breathtaking view of the fall foliage. On clear days the Newport and Jamestown Bridges are clearly visible.

During the open house October 14 and 15, forestry personnel will be on hand to explain how staff detects forest fires and coordinate fire suppression efforts. The tower will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on each day. Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult in order to climb the tower. Comfortable shoes are recommended. The fire tower open house is part of the Division's year-long celebration marking 100 years of state forestry service in Rhode Island.