Watching for forest fires in Sussex in 1970

The West Coast isn't the only part of the country that has been concerned about forest fires through the decades.

This photograph from March 1970 shows the Woodenhawk Interstate Forest Fire Tower along Rt. 404 where the highway crosses from Maryland into Sussex County, west of Bridgeville. In the midst of pine forests prone to fires in spring and fall, the tall fire tower was manned in those seasons by a so-called warden. That person would keep an eye on the forests surrounding the tower for many miles in every direction and call in suspicious smoke to try to catch fires before they became a larger problem. Straddling the state line, the tower and its personnel were paid through a joint program funded by Delaware and Maryland.

The tower dates back to 1932. It was part of a system of fire towers in Maryland and Delaware. Most have been removed in the years since this photograph was made, primarily due to personnel budgeting constraints. This tower, however, remains as a reminder of past technologies and a cooperative effort between Delaware and Maryland.