Thank you for your profile of Benchmark fire tower lookout Rick Freimuth (“‘It’s a fantastic view of it all,’” Sept. 23). We owe a debt of gratitude to the lookouts, who protect our forests, homes and communities.
Your article states that the protection provided by Benchmark costs taxpayers $30,000 per year – less than the cost of one home lost to wildfire.
At the average cost of fighting wildfires today, if a lookout reports a fire quickly enough for firefighters to keep it under 10 acres, that savings has paid for the cost of the lookout’s season.
Nancy ZinnDurango
