West Virginia’s forest fire towers were shut down in 1990 after many years of use. Around 100 towers once helped spot fires across the state. The first towers were built in 1916 after large fires followed heavy logging. Observers lived in the towers and watched for smoke during fire seasons. They used maps and tools to find where the fire was, then called it in so crews could respond. Today, fires are reported by people or spotted from airplanes. Most towers are no longer safe, but a few have been fixed up and can be rented to stay overnight.