CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
ROUND TOP
Contra Costa Hills Protective Committee > Eastbay Hills Protective Committee
February 10, 1925: "A second fire watch tower will rise in the Berkeley hills to protect residents of the college city and the entire eastbay from a repetition of September 1923.
The new tower, similar to the one now functioning on Grizzly peak, will be located on Round Top, the second highest point in the Berkeley hills. Plans for the new tower were disclosed at a recent meeting of the Contra Costa hills fire protection committee held at the office of E.L. LaVeaga, extensive landowner in the Orinda Park district." (Oakland Tribune)
The new tower, similar to the one now functioning on Grizzly peak, will be located on Round Top, the second highest point in the Berkeley hills. Plans for the new tower were disclosed at a recent meeting of the Contra Costa hills fire protection committee held at the office of E.L. LaVeaga, extensive landowner in the Orinda Park district." (Oakland Tribune)
October 14, 1925: "Unless Oakland and Piedmont add financial to their moral support of the state forestry department, the state will withdraw its forest fire fighting aid in the Eastbay.
This was made known today by Emanuel Fritz, secretary of the California section of the Society of American Foresters and assistant professor of forestry at the University of California, following a conference with M.B. Pratt, state forester.
According to Fritz, the state forester is dissatisfied with the co-operation of the Eastbay communities, particularly Oakland and Piedmont, and is likely to withdraw his support on the ground that forest fighting funds should come from the treasuries of the cities endangered.
"The state now furnishes this region with a district ranger who is charged with the duty of suppressing forest and grass fires," said Fritz. "The state also pays part of the salary of the Grizzly Peak lookout observer. Obviously these two men are an insufficient force, and the single lookout station is inadequate to give the Eastbay cities proper protection."
Money is urgently needed by the Contra Costa hills fire protection committee to defray the cost of actual fire fighting, for half the salary of the lookout, for the installation on Round Top mountain of another lookout station, the building of fire trails and the purchase of equipment. Such funds should come from the treasuries of the cities and larger property owners." (Oakland Tribune)
January 27, 1927: "As the first step in a move to provide additional fire protection agencies in the Berkeley hills, work started today on the construction of a graded road to the summit of Round Top, it was announced by Charles Keeler, secretary of the Contra Costa Hills Fire Protection Committee, under whose auspices the work is being done.
The road, about two and one-half miles in length, will start at the East Bay Water Company camp on the Skyline Boulevard and extend to the summit of the peak. As in the case of Grizzly Peak, construction of the road will be followed by the erection of a fire watch tower on the summit of Round Top. This will greatly increase fire protection in the hills, the new tower providing a view of territory not visible from the Grizzly Peak watch station. It is hoped to have the new tower ready for use by the opening of the coming dry season.
A large crew of men started work on the new road this morning. Horses and grading equipment being used in the work is donated by contractors. Many individuals and firms, as well as the City of Berkeley, contributed to the support of the Fire Protection Association in its work of affording protection from fire for the cities of the Bay District." (Berkeley Daily Gazette)
April 8, 1927: "Fire prevention work in the Berkeley hills will be augmented by a second fire watch station located on Round Top, which will be completed in June before the fire hazard season arrives, it was announced today by Charles Keeler, secretary of the Contra Costa County Hills Fire Protection Association.
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company has granted the request of the Committee to install poles and wires to the station in the summit. This extension of a mile or more from the present service will be done at the expense of the company as a donation to hills fire protection. J. H. Pape, Berkeley district manager of the P.G. & E. Company, has advised the committee of this decision and stated that his expenditure will be considerably in excess of what the revenue will amount to and is substantial evidence of the company's willingness to cooperate in the work which the committee has undertaken.
The road to the summit of Round Top has been constructed by District Fire Ranger William Jordan under the direction of Paul I. Daniels, chairman of the committee. This road will be a one-way, private road for the exclusive use of the fire protection service. Although nearly completed, heavy rains have left it unsafe for travel, even for the hauling of material for the tower.
The Round Top tower will be installed by A. E. Frost of the State Forestry Department. Surveys and recommendations for the placing of the lookout on Round Top have been made by State Forester M. B. Pratt, Professor Woodbridge Metcalf of the University Forestry Department, and other experts, including representatives of the United States Department of Forestry." (Berkeley Daily Gazette)
July 1, 1927: "Fire protection advantages offered by the installation of a fire lookout tower on Round Top were demonstrated today when a brush fire in Claremont Canyon was reported by the new tower before it could gain headway and was quickly extinguished.
The scene of the fire was not visible from the Grizzly Peak lookout tower and had it not been for the new station, the blaze would have probably gone unnoticed for a considerable period of time. With the two towers established, the Berkeley hills are now completely in the view of fire wardens. Today's alarm was the first sounded by the new tower for a fire in the Berkeley district. Since the watch tower plan has been in operation, many serious grass and brush fires have been averted." (Berkeley Daily Gazette)
September 7, 1927: "The fire prevention and control service of the Contra Costa Hills Fire Protection Committee has been greatly augmented during the past year according to a statement by Charles Keeler, secretary of the committee. The new 60-foot steel lookout tower on Round Top Peak, which has been giving fire detection service supplementary to the Grizzly Peak tower, since its completion by the committee on June 1 will be officially dedicated during that week. Chairman Paul I. Daniels will preside at these exercises and State Forester M. B. Pratt will be speaker of the day." (Berkeley Daily Gazette)
