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This page is dedicated to the memory of my good friend and volunteer Joe Knowles, who had graciously given of his time and efforts over the years to staff and train the many volunteer fire lookouts who have helped staff the fire lookouts during past fire seasons. They have added an extra level of help in detecting and protect our community from the threat of fire and other desasters. A special thanks to all the volunteers for their many uncounted hours of repairing, painting, maintaining, coordinating and scheduling of tower coverage during these past fire seasons. Our local communities thank them for all their hard work in these efforts.
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Josiah Knowles Memorial Tower Dedication, June 27, 2009 |
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On June 27, 2009, the United States Forest Service and the Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District dedicated the fire lookout tower at Miami Mountain in the memory of Josiah (Joe) Knowles, Jr. for his dedicated services to the volunteer program at Miami and in the Sierra National Forest. The ceremony was conducted by U.S.F.S. District Ranger, Dave Martin of the Bass Lake Ranger District in the Sierra National Forest. Also attending from the Forest Service was Patrol 52, Paul Waddell, Bass Lake Ranger Districts Fire Lookout Coordinator for Miami Mountain. District Ranger Dave Martin gave the dedication speach and then unveiled the permanent monument (photos below) with the dedication plaque mounted on it. The monument was erected by the volunteers at the lookout. Volunteers attending the ceremony were: Richard Camp (Volunteer Coordinator), Al Johnson, Barbara Thormann, Don Cohn, Jim and Kathie Silvester, Alice Ketman and Jeff May. Attending for the family were Jonathan Craig Knowles, Ann Morrow Knowles, Jonathan Craig Knowles, Marlene Craig Knowles, Samuel James Knowles and Martha Eads. |
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Line-of-Duty Lookout Tragedies Volunteer Lookout Found Dead Joe Knowles, Sierra NF, California Josiah Knowles, Jr. was a lookout volunteer with the Sierra National Forest Detection Ptogram at Miami Lookout on the Bass Lake Ranger District. On October 26, 2006, Joe left his residence to work at Miami Lookout at 8:00 a.m.. At 8:55 he went in service at the lookout and went out of service with Sierra Dispatch at 5:56 p.m.. When he had not yet returned home after 8:00 p.m., Volunteer Coordinator Rich Camp was called. Rich and his partner drove up to Miami Lookout very slowly and looked over the road edge the whole way up to make sure Joe had not driven off the edge. Upon arrival at the lookout, Knowles was noticed near the base of the tower next to his vehicle, slumped over onto the rear drivers side tire. He had sustained severe head trauma and was deceased. Joe was alone at the time; it is known that there was a fall that involved a head injury, but the cause of the fall has not been determined. An agency investigation is under way. Joe was from Ahwahnee and was one of 25 volunteers with the fire detection program. He was known by his very distinct voice - when he had a smoke report you knew he had a smoke. He worked for ten years as a volunteer at Miami, Deadwood and Shuteye Lookouts and was a member of the Forest Fire Lookout Association. He had also volunteered the visitors center in Oakhurst and was a member of the Ham Radio club. In his 70's, Joe is survived by his two sons, Jon and Nick, and his daughter, Jenny. 
Miami Lookout is located on the Mariposa, Madera County line, one mile west of California State Highway 49 in the foothills of the west-central Sierra Nevada Mountains. At an elevation of 4,327 feet, it overlooks the towns of Oakhurst, Ahwahnee, Nipinnawasee, Coarsegold, Raymond and Baily Flats in Madera County, and Ponderosa Basin, Usona, Bootjack, Lush Meadows, Mariposa, and Oakgrove in Mariposa County, the southwestern peaks of Yosenite National Park, and the northwestern peaks of the Sierra National Forest. Miami has been staffed by volunteers since 1995, when cutbacks forced the discontinuance of pain staffing. The volunteers work in cooperation with the Sierra NF and the CDF, and are responsible for watching an area of about 150 square miles. The lookout is staffed during the fire season beginning about May 15th of each year until October or November when enough precipitation has fallen to end the fire system Miami Lookout was originally built in 1934. The lookout is a 20-foot "H-hraced" steel non-battered tower with I-beam corner posts. Atop the tower is a C-3 14 x 14 foot wooden hip-roofed cab with the door in the center of wall, with 2-pane windows, and originally had shutter outriggers on top. |
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October 27, 2006 FIRE LOOKOUT FATALITY NORTH FORK. . . "The Forest Service family lost a valued member Thursday when Josiah "Joe" Knowles, Jr., was fatally injured after a fall at the Miami Fire Detection Lookout," said Bass Lake District Ranger David Martin. "Joe was from Ahwahnee and had worked ten years as a volunteer in our Fire Detection Programs at Miami and Shuteye Lookouts." In his 70's, Joe is survived by his two sons and a daughter. He was a member of the Ham Radio Club and also had volunteered at the visitor center in Oakhurst. "The entire Forest Service family is saddened and sends our sincere condolences to Joe's family, friends and colleagues," said Martin. Fire detection has been an integral part of wildfire prevention since it began with the formation of the forest reserves at the turn of the 20th Century. "Even with all the technical advancements with satellites and computers, we still are very much in need of the human eye to assist with early detection of wildfires, said Martin. "There are currently 27 volunteers working in the Volunteer Fire Detection program." Miami Fire Lookout sits atop the 4,327 foot Miami Mountain about two miles West of State Highway 49 just North of Nipinnawassee. The 360 degree view from Miami takes in the ever-increasing urban interface with the Forest. Receiving no financial compensation for their work, volunteers know the value of their work and enjoy the solitude found at the top of a mountain. |
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Forest Service Volunteer falls at lookout, dies Volunteer served for 10 years By Gwyneth Hyndman (Updated Wednesday, November 1, 2006, 6:40 PM) A U.S. Forest Service volunteer was fatally injured after a fall at the Miami Fire Detection Lookout, outside of Nipinnawasee on Thursday. Josiah "Joe" Knowles, Jr. of Ahwahnee had worked as a volunteer in the fire detection programs at Miami, Deadwood and Shuteye lookouts for 10 years. In his 70's, Knowles was one of 25 volunteers with the fire detection program. Knowles was alone at the time of his fall; the incident is still under investigation. "We know there was a fall that involved a head injury," said Mark Lemon of the U.S. Forest Service. "We're unsure of what caused the fall though." Lemon stated it is common for lookout volunteers to be stationed alone. "I've worked here for 34 years and I've never seen anything like this happen," said Trudy Tucker, public affairs specialist at the Bass Lake Ranger Station in North Fork. "Our federal investigators were here on Friday. We should know more soon." Lemon said details are expected to be released later this week. Knowles was also a volunteer at the visitor center in Oakhurst and was a member of the Ham Radio Club. He is survived by his two sons, Jon and Nick, and his daughter, Jenny. "The entire Forest Service family is saddened and sends our condolences to Joe's family, friends and colleagues," said Bass Lake District Ranger David Martin. The Miami Fire Lookout is located on top of Miami Mountain, at a 4,327-foot elevation, two miles off of Highway 49, north of Nipinnawasee. The station was established in 1934 by the U.S. Forest Service and overlooks Eastern Madera and Mariposa Counties, the south western peaks of Yosemite National Park and the north western peaks of the Sierra National Forest. Miami Lookout is now staffed by local volunteers since cutbacks forced the discontinuance of paid staffing in 1995. Volunteers are responsible for watching an area of approximately 150 square miles. Fire detection has been a vital aspect of wildfire prevention since the inception of the forest reserves more than a century ago. "Even with all the technical advancements with satellites and computers, we are still very much in need of the human eye to assist with early detection of wildfires," Martin said. |
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Articles Courtsey of Wildfire Archived News |
VOLUNTEER LOOKOUT DIESNOVEMBER 01, 2006 -- NORTH FORK, CA: Josiah Knowles Jr., a volunteer at the Miami Mountain Fire Lookout on the Sierra National Forest, died last Thursday, October 26, at the lookout after apparently falling down the lookout stairs. Investigators said Knowles was on duty till about 6 p.m., but when he did not return home on time, the Volunteer Coordinator drove to the lookout. At about 9 p.m. he found Knowles's vehicle with his body leaning against it. Knowles had suffered heavy blood loss from severe head trauma. A CDF engine responded to assist, and investigators say the cause of death was apparently a fall down the lookout stairs. An agency investigation is under way. "Joe was from Ahwahnee and had worked ten years as a volunteer," said Bass Lake District Ranger David Martin. Knowles, in his 70s, left behind two sons and a daughter. Miami Lookout is in the foothills of the west-central Sierra Nevada Mountains. At an elevation of 4,327 feet, the site overlooks eastern Madera County, Mariposa County, the southwestern peaks of Yosemite National Park, and the northwestern peaks of the Sierra National Forest. Lookout volunteers are responsible for watching an area of about 150 square miles. The lookout has been staffed by volunteers since 1995, when cutbacks forced the discontinuance of paid staffing. |
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Articles Courtsey of Wildfire Archived News |
VOLUNTEER LOOKOUT MISSEDNOVEMBER 03, 2006 -- NORTH FORK, CA: Josiah Knowles Jr., a volunteer at the Miami Mountain Fire Lookout on the Sierra National Forest, died last Thursday, October 26, at the lookout after apparently falling down the lookout stairs. "The last week has been a tragic week for the fire service," said Richard Camp, Miami Mountain Volunteer Fire Lookout Coordinator. "The loss of Joe Knowles was a tragic accident for the fire service also."
Members of the volunteer group responsible for the lookouts, according to Camp, hope that staffing will continue this next year and that the lookout tower will not be closed down because of Knowles's tragic accident. Though the news of Knowles's fatal accident has been pre-empted by the national news focus on the Esperanza Fire, Camp and others involved with the lookout volunteer program on the Sierra National Forest hope that Knowles won't be forgotten. "Joe will be dearly missed," said Camp. "He started actively volunteering in 1998 and logged over 400 hours doing what he enjoyed the most. He also put in countless other hours working on tower maintenance, painting, repairs, and other chores that were never logged." Miami Lookout is in the foothills of the west-central Sierra Nevada Mountains. At an elevation of 4,327 feet, the site overlooks eastern Madera County, Mariposa County, the southwestern peaks of Yosemite National Park, and the northwestern peaks of the Sierra National Forest. Lookout volunteers are responsible for watching an area of about 150 square miles. The lookout has been staffed by volunteers since 1995, when cutbacks forced the discontinuance of paid staffing. |
 Word came from Jack Troup that Joe had died from complications of a fall. Attendees of Sunday babble class remembered Joe showing up at the Shell Road clubhouse intermittently -- he had moved to Oakhurst -- and at the Red Cross in San Rafael at least as far back as the early sixties. Back then we could always see him coming in his blue VDUB with the very long Mast Mobile 75m antenna cut for 3885 kc. |
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Camp said he was good friends with Knowles for several years. "He was very helpful in putting our web cam and security systems into operation at the tower back in August of 2003," he said. "Our group has been staffing the lookout for the last ten years on a volunteer basis for the Forest Service." 
