SACRAMENTO PEAK
New Mexico - Otero County - Lincoln National Forest
May 27, 1924: "With the increasing dry hot weather the Lincoln forest officials are paying close attention to the fire hazard in the woods. R. C. Salton of the headquarters office at Alamogordo has gone to the Sacraments to rush the erection of the new sixty-foot steel fire tower there." (The Deming Headlight)
May 29, 1924: "Forest Examiner Salton who has been in the Sacramentos for the last two weeks supervising the construction of the new Sacramento Lookout Tower has gone to Mayhill where he will spend several days with Ranger Russell." (Alamogordo News)
April 25, 1967: "A wind-whipped forest fire, described by U.S. Forest Service officials as 'a real bad one,' broke out Monday night in the LIncoln National Forest south of Sacramento Peak.
Officials said the blaze already had consumed 600 acres by 10 p.m., and was spreading quickly.
An urgent call went out for six 25-man crews of Indian fire-fighters and they were expected on the lines by this morning.
The blaze, centered in the Danley Canyon area southeast of the peak, also is threatening the huge government operated Sacramento Observatory.
Bob Hunter, assistant to the director of the observatory, said the multi-million dollar structure was not in any danger 'at this time.' He did say that if wind direction changes 'there could be trouble.'
Forest officials evacuated the Sacramento Lookout Tower and said the structure probably was destroyed. Valuables, including radios and telephones were removed from the building." (Albuquerque Journal)
April 26, 1967: "Tom Goodrich, a Forest Service ranger from Arizona said, 'As near as we can tell the fire was started by man. There were no lightning strikes reported Tuesday night and that's the best guess.'
The FBI and Forest Service are carrying out an intensive investigation, he said.
Besides the lush timber, the only property damage reported was the Forest Service's Sacramento Lookout Tower about five miles southeast of the community of Sunspot." (Albuquerque Tribune)