The Alder Ridge fire lookout is an 80' tall classic 1930's era aermotor tower located on the north end of Alder Ridge near Kyburz, California.  Built in 1936 out of solid metal, it has a 7'x7' seating area at the top.  The person on duty would live in the nearby house w/ a parking garage included.  Today these structures are abandoned & left in decay, but are always neat to stumble upon as these particular lookouts are relatively rare today.  From the top, one can see views of the Sierra Nevada foothills & the Crystal Range near Lake Tahoe to the east.  It seemed to have been in use until recent years.  The lookout made the news on September 12, 2000 when US Forest Service worker James Welch, age 51 of Georgetown, California became suicidal & climbed to the top of the tower.  After over two hours of the sheriffs & fellow co-workers trying to talk him out of it, he dove head first at 4pm into the granite boulders to his death.

In the United States, suicide is the 10th-12th leading cause of death every year w/ one suicide every 11.5 minutes.  Help is available by calling the Suicide & Crisis Hotline at 9-8-8.