Nowadays, we’re only a few clicks away from live wildfire maps and news coverage. Easy access to information is important when fires move fast, but how were wildfires tracked before it was all at our fingertips?
The answer stands tall in Parry Sound, Ont. The observation tower at Tower Hill represents a half-century of forest-fire prevention. It honours its predecessor: a tower that was the central lookout in a network of 27 across Parry Sound District. The Ontario Forestry Branch (now the Ministry of Natural Resources) implemented this system in 1927 after the Great Matheson Fire, one of Canada’s deadliest blazes, claimed 2,000 sq. km. and at least 223 lives.
The Tower Hill lookout was a 24-metre metal structure that was staffed from May to October. But Peter McEwen, the district forester from 1922 to 1934, envisioned more for the tower: it would also serve as a public attraction. So he mandated that stairs, not a ladder, be used to reach the observer’s cabin to allow visitors to see the view from the top. In the years following, he added a vast garden and a bungalow to house rangers during fire season.
While tourists admired the landscape, rangers monitored. They pinpointed fires by angling an alidade (similar to a long clock hand) toward the smoke. The alidade sat atop a map with the tower at its centre and swivelled on a ring marked with compass bearings. When multiple towers reported a bearing to headquarters, their meeting point signified the fire’s location. In 1935, rangers sighted smoke 100 times and identified a record 18 bush fires. Tower Hill ceased fire operations in 1966 when radio communication with air and marine patrol was centralized, but the tower welcomed tourists until it was deemed unsafe in 1973.
The Ministry wanted to retain the landmark, so construction began on a replacement, and a new, 29-metre steel observation tower opened in 1975. Before you ask: no, installing a tower at your cottage won’t stop your fire insurance from increasing, but you can still visit the tower at the West Parry Sound District Museum. It’s said to have the best view of Parry Sound, so who knows what you might see. (If it’s smoke, you know what to do.)
The evolution of fire detection
Early 1900s
Fire rangers travel on foot or by canoe to spot smoke.
1917
After three fires in Northern Ontario caused more than 338 deaths, Ontario passes the Forest Fires Prevention Act, limiting farmers’ ability to burn public land.
1925
Aircraft patrols allow for aerial views, but planes are scarce and fuel is pricey, so their use is limited.
1948
The Department of Land and Forests releases dry ice at 15,000 feet to induce precipitation to control a rapidly spreading fire. Unsurprisingly, it did not work.
Late 1950s
Due to availability of aircraft after the Second World War, water bombers become common.
Late 1970s–early 1980s
The government adopts thinking that natural fires are beneficial to maintaining ecosystem health.
2020s
Ground sensors, cameras, drones, satellites, and AI can detect and control fires faster.
2029
The planned launch of WildFireSat, seven microsatellites owned by the federal government that provide real-time updates on fire intensity, speed, projected path, and data about global air quality.
This story originally appeared in our Early Spring ’26 issue.
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