'Your job is to be in tune with the land': A day in the life of a fire lookout
CBC
Shane Turner wakes up by 7:15 a.m. every morning. After he's awake, the first thing he focuses on is examining the weather conditions in Kananaskis Country and sending out a report to the local forestry department.
Turner tries to answer several questions, such as how humid is it? Is it super windy? What is the temperature?
These factors help him determine the chances of a wildfire breaking out that day.
"[By measuring local conditions], we can assess the hazard level we'll be on for the day," Turner said.
"So if it's soaking wet, 100 per cent humidity, there's a good chance your day is going to be a little easier. It's like a lifeguard job with no one in the pool."
What does that mean? Well, if the local conditions look good, it's likely there won't be any wildfires in the area that day, and Turner may have a relatively easier shift as he scans his surroundings for any telltale signs of a fire, such as smoke.
He is a fire lookout, also known as a lookout observer, stationed in Kananaskis on top of Yates Mountain, Alta.
"This is my 10th season [as a lookout observer]," Turner said. "I did two seasons in High Level. I did three seasons in Whitecourt and this is my fifth season down here."
Alberta has approximately 100 lookout stations — each location is equipped with a fire spotter who tries to identify new wildfires before they become a larger threat.
"We … cover 40 kilometres of land," Turner said before adding, "Our job is to detect wildfires while they're very small and get our crews in the air so that we can begin suppression before it reaches to hectares."
How does it work? According to Turner, a fire lookout is usually deployed in a location "with the highest advantage to see the surrounding areas." The goal is to aim for 40 kilometres' worth of visibility in each direction.
Turner wasn't always a fire lookout. He started his career as a musician, juggling multiple roles as a singer, drummer, bassist and songwriter.
He was drawn to the life of a fire spotter after he observed his brother-in-law at work.
"I just saw how relaxed my brother-in-law was and how much he loved it. And I just instantly knew I could do the job," Turner said.
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