NEW YORK LOOKOUTS
FLANDERS HILL
Suffolk County
1918: "Long Island has suffered severely from forest fires in past years. The need of some means of prompt detection of forest fires became apparent, and sites were chosen for two observation towers. One of these was located on Flanders Hill or South Division Hill, a slight elevation southwest of Riverhead in the eastern part of the Island." (8th Annual Report of the Conservation Commission.)
May 9, 1922: "The territory covered by the fire extended from between one and two miles north of Riverhead to the outskirts of Hampton Bays. The roads north from Riverhead were nearly all blocked yesterday, when the heat from the glowing forest made them impossible for travel. The fire tower on Quogue Plains, maintained by the State for discovering the beginnings of forest fires, was entirely surrounded by the flames, and its telephone connections burned away. Benjamin Rogers, the tower watchman, was driven from his 100-foot perch and forced to flee across the burning country to save his life." (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
October 13, 1932: "Joseph H. Weaver, 68, was found dead in bed at his home on Depot road on Saturday morning. He was one of the Fire Wardens of Suffolk County and watched from the fire tower at Flanders." (The County Review)
June 22, 1933: "Addison Jackson died on Thursday evening, June 15, in his home on Vail avenue, East Quogue. At about 4:30 o'clock, while at work at the fire tower, Mr. Jackson was taken sick. When he reached home the doctor was called and Mr. Jackson passed away with a sever heart attack in about two hours.
On April 1 Mr. Jackson was appointed fire warden in the Flanders Hill Observatory. Mr. Jackson, who was 48 years of age, was the youngest of a family of fourteen children." (The County Review)
November 13, 1941: "All fires seen from the fire tower in Flanders are reported by radio immediately and any emergency distress signal from an airplane in his area is relayed by Ranger Downs to the nearest assistance." (The County Review)
March 26, 1942: "'Ike" Stivers of the Ever Ready Hose Co. and a valued member of the New York State Conservation fire staff in this section, started working for the 1942 season on Monday of this week. He expects to have a new GMC apparatus with a two-way radio set, by which he can always keep in touch with the fire tower in Flanders (which is under the direction of Ed Downs of East Quogue). This tower is equipped with a two-way radio set also and the tower overlooks from Camp Upton to Shelter Island and can locate a fire very quickly and transmit the message to the proper field fire apparatus via this method, sending the location and other details necessary to the warden. Mr. Stivers asks your cooperation in burning grass, leaves, rubbish or any other combustible material. He says you should call either him or Chief Joseph E. Walsh of the Riverhead Fire Department for a permit to do this under State regulations." (County Review)
April 5, 1945: "The fire was discovered by Edward Downs of East Quogue, an observer ranger of the State Conservation Department, who was on duty at the fire tower in Flanders, and he notified the radio operator at the Court House in Riverhead." (The County Review)
April 18, 1946: "Flanders Fire Tower is now open for the season. William Snell, of Aquebogue, is the observer. Mr. Snell is qualified for the job and has had considerable experience in that type of work, having served during the war years as fireman at the Airport." (County Review)
May 23, 1946: "At 12:15 p.m. the Flanders Fire Tower reported what looked like a bad fire east of Sugar Loaf, in Shinnecock Hills, a check up on this by the Southampton Police and the State Fire Crew, showed this to be another dust storm, dust blowing off the potato farm west of the village." (The Long Islander)
October 1959: The state in an effort to cut costs abandoned the lookout services. The title was transferred to Suffolk County for future protection operations.