NEW MEXICO LOOKOUTS
CANJILON
Rio Arriba County
Carson National Forest
27N-5E-13
Carson National Forest
27N-5E-13
C.1909: A 10 x 14 foot frame cabin was built to furnish living quarters for the lookout. Also a wood tower with a platform was erected. (Source "Lookouts of the Southwestern Region," USFS)
January 19, 1925: "Mrs. Victor Ortega, La Madera, N.M., whose husband was killed by lightning June 30, 1924, while serving as a forest service fire lookoutman, has been granted the maximum amount of compensation allowed by law for the support of herself and children, according to District Forester F.C.W. Pooler, who has just been advised of the grant by the United States employes' compensation commission.
Claim was made up, Mr. Pooler states, supporting data secured and the whole matter, even to final approval, handled through the compensation commission within six months from the time the death of Mr. Ortega occurred. Mrs. Ortega has been granted the maximum compensation allowable by law which in her case is $60.00 per month, $31.50 of which is for the support of herself as long as she remains unmarried and $28.50 for the support of her children until they die, marry or reach the age of 18 years. A check in payment of back compensation covering the period of July 1 to December 31, 1924, was sent Mrs. Ortega January 1, and she will be sent regular installments hereafter on the first and 16th of each month.
Mrs. Ortega's husband, previous to his death, had been employed by the forest service as a fire guard during the summer months for several years. His post of duty was on Canjilon mountain, a high, bald flat-topped mountain within the Carson national forest in northern New Mexico. His duties were to patrol the rim of the mountain for a distance of three miles every two hours watching for smoke and going to and extinguishing nearby fires. The rest of the time he remained near a telephone in order to give cross readings on fires reported by other lookout men.
Two bolts of lightning had a part in the death of the fire guard and made the circumstances unusual. Following one of his patrol trips he took refuge from an approaching storm in the cabin provided by the forest service as fire guard living quarters. The first bolt entered the cabin by way of the stove pipe and jumped to earth through the body of Ortega, who was sitting near the stove. He was badly burned on the leg. His wife was with him and helped him to the bed. While the burn was being dressed a second bolt crashed into the cabin and struck Ortega on the head. Death came instantly and just as suddenly, left Mrs. Ortega without means of support for herself and family."(Prescott Evening Courier)
Claim was made up, Mr. Pooler states, supporting data secured and the whole matter, even to final approval, handled through the compensation commission within six months from the time the death of Mr. Ortega occurred. Mrs. Ortega has been granted the maximum compensation allowable by law which in her case is $60.00 per month, $31.50 of which is for the support of herself as long as she remains unmarried and $28.50 for the support of her children until they die, marry or reach the age of 18 years. A check in payment of back compensation covering the period of July 1 to December 31, 1924, was sent Mrs. Ortega January 1, and she will be sent regular installments hereafter on the first and 16th of each month.
Mrs. Ortega's husband, previous to his death, had been employed by the forest service as a fire guard during the summer months for several years. His post of duty was on Canjilon mountain, a high, bald flat-topped mountain within the Carson national forest in northern New Mexico. His duties were to patrol the rim of the mountain for a distance of three miles every two hours watching for smoke and going to and extinguishing nearby fires. The rest of the time he remained near a telephone in order to give cross readings on fires reported by other lookout men.
Two bolts of lightning had a part in the death of the fire guard and made the circumstances unusual. Following one of his patrol trips he took refuge from an approaching storm in the cabin provided by the forest service as fire guard living quarters. The first bolt entered the cabin by way of the stove pipe and jumped to earth through the body of Ortega, who was sitting near the stove. He was badly burned on the leg. His wife was with him and helped him to the bed. While the burn was being dressed a second bolt crashed into the cabin and struck Ortega on the head. Death came instantly and just as suddenly, left Mrs. Ortega without means of support for herself and family."(Prescott Evening Courier)
192??: The lookout was abandoned.
