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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 4, 2006 Vandals destroy lookout Fire causes as much as $500,000 in damages, OSP says By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune GRANTS PASS — Vandals destroyed the historic Mount Sexton fire lookout and three Oregon Department of Forestry repeater antennas Saturday night. The damage, which included three structures and other communications equipment, could total as much as $500,000, according to an Oregon State Police detective leading the investigation. There is no indication the fire or other damage is related to any ecoterrorist activity, officials said. The ODF lookout and repeaters are vital firefighting tools for the agency during wildfire season, serving as its mountaintop eyes, said Brian Ballou, spokesman for the ODF’s Southwest Oregon District, which includes Josephine and Jackson counties. "We will have to have those services re-established by summer," he said. "We don’t know yet how we’re going to do that but it’ll have to be done. Advertisement "Mount Sexton is one of the mainstays," he added. "We have a great vantage point up there — looking down the Interstate 5 corridor, over Sunny Valley, that whole area. It’s also a main repeater point for us." The crime occurred between 9 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday, said detective Mo Austin of the OSP’s arson and explosives section. The damage was discovered around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, he said. Although he declined to talk about possible suspects, Austin added that investigators are pursuing several leads. Those who committed the crime broke into three buildings as well as destroyed the lookout, Austin said. "Three repeaters belonging to OSP were lost, and damage was done to antennas belonging to Josephine County’s 9-1-1, the Wolf Creek Fire Department and ham operators," he said. Although the ODF repeaters were the only ones destroyed, the damage to the9-1-1 and fire department antennas did affect emergency communications, he added. A fire also was started inside a building owned by Freedom Communications (owner of television station KTVL Channel 10), he said. A spokeswoman for the station said there was no loss of communications. The vandals broke into a third building, owned by the National Weather Service, but were unable to do any damage to that equipment, he said. "But there is at least several hundred-thousand dollars in damage up there, maybe as much as half a million," Austin said, noting the damage to the ODF equipment appears to be the most costly. The mountain, located about 10 miles north of Grants Pass as the crow flies, rises to 3,834 feet above sea level. The lookout is about seven miles east of Interstate 5 off Old Highway 99 near Jumpoff Joe Creek. The loss of the Mount Sexton fire lookout leaves a hole in the agency’s visual fire watch area, officials said. In addition to Mount Sexton, the agency historically has lookouts staffed each summer on Soda Mountain east of Ashland, White Point near Prospect and Tallowbox Mountain in the Applegate Valley. "The Sexton lookout has been there 40 or 50 years — it’s one of the older ones," Ballou observed. "It would be very difficult to duplicate if we had to replace that site." The book "Fire Lookouts of the Northwest" indicates the original Sexton lookout was built in the 1930s with the 30-foot tower erected in the early 1960s. The repeaters broaden ODF’s radio coverage, enabling employees to reach each other and the office from greater distances, Ballou said. Although use of the repeaters is much greater during the fire season, ODF foresters and others rely on them year-round, Ballou said. The building that houses a Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest communications repeater was vandalized, causing about $1,000 damage, according to forest spokeswoman Patty Burel. However, the agency’s equipment was still operating, she said. There was no damage to the Bureau of Land Management equipment, she added. Forest Service and BLM law enforcement officers are assisting state police in the investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Austin at 776-6114, Ext. 265. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at Vandals destroy lookout ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Absinthe Supply Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Debt Consolidation California Casinos GMAT Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada King of Spirits Email Security Advertisement s Advertisement