LAKEHURST NAVAL AIR STATION
New Jersey - Ocean County
March 23, 1922: "With the approval of the navy department, the department of conservation will use the top of the big hangar at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station as one of the new forest fire towers. A watchman will soon be stationed there." (Frederick News-Post - Maryland)
June 22, 1922: "The state forest fire service has just opened a look-out tower on top of the huge naval airdrome at Lakehurst. The tower, made possible thru co-operation of the United States Naval Air Service, is the highest in New Jersey and overlooks Lakewood, Toms River, and New Egypt, to the ocean on the east and well across the state to the west. It embraces the territory recently the scene of disastrous forest fires in Monmouth and Ocean Counties and its use is expected to do much in preventing such loss in future." (The Monmouth Inquirer)
June 24, 1922: "Perched on top of the huge naval airdrome at Lakehurst, which was built to house the ill-fated ZR-2 that fell to destruction in its trial flight over England last summer, is the latest lookout tower to be opened by the State Forest Fire Service. It was made possible through the cooperation of the U.S. Naval Air Service.
The lookout station is higher above ground than any so far constructed, since the roof of the hanger is 212 feet above the surface. It overlooks the territory recently the scene of the severe forest fires in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Its use, according to the fire wardens, will do much to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The view from the lookout includes Lakewood, Toms River, New Egypt, and on clear days, extends to the ocean on the east and well across the state to the west." (The Chatham Press)
June 30, 1922: "On the roof of the giant hangar at Lakehurst has been erected the highest forest-fire lookout tower in the New Jersey forest zone. The station is more than 200 feet above the level of the surrounding plain, and from this vantage point a guard can observe conditions in most of the Ocean and a good part of the Burlington and Monmouth county pines." (The Coast Star)
FY 1923: "Through the cooperation of the U.S. Navy Department a suitable observation house was erected by State funds on the roof of the hangar at the U.S. Naval Air Station near Lakehurst, Ocean County, and put into operation as a lookout station in the fall of 1922. This cooperation has made it possible to establish not only a unique but an unusually effective station at low cost to the State." (Annual Report - Department of Conservation and Development, 1922-23)
August 4, 1929: "The Graf Zeppelin will be protected from fire after its arrival at the Lakehurst naval air station by 500 men from the state department of conservation and development, it was announced today.
This move, according to Colonel Leonidas Colye, the chief fire warden, is to prevent carelessness on the part of the large crowd which is expected to assemble there. The gas used to inflate the giant air-liner is very inflammable and any fire that might start in the dry brush in the vicinity of the hangar would endanger the craft. The men will be scattered among the crowd and will be on constant watch.
In the event of rain the men will not be present, however, but constant vigil will be kept from the fire observation tower on top of the large hangar." (The Salt Lake Tribune - Utah)
May 5, 1930: "The fire lookout station atop the naval air station hanger at Lakehurst was so enveloped in smoke that it was useless." (San Antonio Express - Texas)
May 5, 1930: "A pall of smoke hanging over the district made useless the fire patrol lookout station atop the naval air station hangar at Lakehurst, where the dirigible Los Angeles and a number of smaller airships are housed." (Fayetteville Daily Democrat - Arkansas)
April 20, 1948: "State forest fire service headquarters today said hundreds of smudge pots burning in cranberry bogs west of Lakehurst early yesterday caused a false alarm.
Officials reported Division Warden Bernard W. Bartlett was called at 5 o'clock by a sailor in the lookout tower at the Lakehurst naval air station. The observer thought the blaze was a forest fire as the pots throw off a huge glare.
The pots were brought into use because of the unseasonal weather." (Asbury Park Press)