Oregon Peak Lookout Volunteers

February 25, 2017
A luncheon was held at the Alcouffe Community Center in Oregon House honoring the volunteers that staff the Oregon Peak Fire Lookout. Oregon Peak, is located on Oregon Ridge between the town of Dobbins and Bullards Bar Reservoir. The volunteers, known as V.I.Ps (Volunteers In Prevention), first started staffing the lookout in 1992, when the California Department of Forestry stopped funding paid lookouts. Guy Wolf and Greg Crompton, representatives from the former Lake Francis Grange, approached Cal Fire with the idea of staffing the lookout with volunteers from the Dobbins/Oregon House area. Approval was given, and Oregon Peak became the pilot model for this type of program. Many lookouts from throughout the state of California followed their lead. Over the years Oregon Peak and other lookouts have been credited with numerous first reports of wild-land fires.

Saturdays luncheon was attended by over 50 volunteers and Cal Fire personnel. Volunteers were recognized for their service, some with 5, 10 and a few with more than 20 years of volunteer lookout duty. Greg Crompton was recognized with a plaque honoring an amazing 25 years of service creating and coordinating the Oregon Peak Program. The plaque was signed by the Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit Chief, George Morris III and the Dobbins Battalion Chief Tom Webb. Also in attendance, Battalion Chief Sean Griffis and retired Battalion Chief Buck Weckman. Buck was the Dobbins Battalion Chief in 1992 when the program first began. Food for the event was provided by CHY Timber Company and prepared by some of the lookout volunteers. CHY Timber has been a supporter of the volunteer lookout program for many years; much of their land surrounds the Oregon Peak Lookout. The work these volunteers do generally goes unseen, but is very much appreciated by those who know of their service.