JOSEPHINE PEAK
Los Angeles County - California Department of Forestry
September 22, 1939: "Three United States forest service men were struck by lightning north of Altadena but none was killed. They were Glen Sindel, district ranger at Valyermo, Dalton Sella, patrolman at Crystal lake and Vaughn Turner, lookout on Mt. Josephine." (The San Bernardino County Sun)
September 22, 1960: "An unidentified airplane crashed in Angeles Forest north of La Canada shortly before noon today, starting a brush fire, sheriff's deputies reported.
The Forest Service reported there was an explosion and fire, but was not sure it was a plane.
The Navy and Hamilton Air Force Base reported a single place F104 jet fighter from China Lake was overdue. There was no other plane reported missing or overdue.
Scene of the blast and fire was on the slope of Mt. Josephine near Angeles Crest Highway, approximately 12 miles north of Foothill Boulevard.
The fire burned quickly over 15 acres near the highway's turnoff to the resort community of Palmdale.
A sonic boom, or what was thought to be one, rocked a wide area of Pasadena at about the same time as the reported crash. Pasadena Star-News and police department switchboards were flooded with calls from persons who felt and heard the blast.
District Fire Control Officer Ed Corpe said that Mrs. Peggy Hotchkiss, forest service lookout atop Mt. Josephine, was evacuated by truck because of fire threat.
Mrs. Hotchkiss said she heard an explosion at 11:45 o'clock and could see the fire break out from her lookout post.
Deputies assumed the downed plane was a small one but it could not be identified immediately because of the fire burning in the area.
The Forest Service immediately dispatched 150 men to fight the fire. Seven planes began bombing it with fire retardant borate solution.
Los Angeles County Fire Department sent eight engine companies, three camp crews, a helicopter and a tractor to the scene." (Star-News)
November 1975: The lookout was destroyed in the Big Tujunga fire, all personnel were evacuated safely.