Woman Lives in a 14X14 Fire Lookout in the Forest of New Mexico



Courtney McIntosh moved into a tiny 14X14 elevated cabin in the wilds of Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico, after landing a new job as a fire lookout. The space includes a simple kitchen, 2 beds and a work station. The tiny abode, which was built in 1965, comes with electricity but has no running water. Instead, Courtney has to fill up water containers at the ranger station, which is just over an hour away. The nearest stores are located 35 miles away, which makes shopping for groceries an arduous task. There are no neighbors for miles around, so to keep her company, Courtney has a dog she calls Captain Pepperoni. When she is off duty, the 34-year-old, who is originally from Detroit, keeps herself entertained by going for hikes, reading, and listening to podcasts. Meanwhile, her main job is to alert the fire service to any smoke or fires that could destroy the forest. She is on duty from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., monitoring the weather, temperature, humidity and cloud cover, a job that pays her a meager $16 an hour. Her contract to be the lookout lasts until September 2025. She is allowed 2 days off a week, which she uses to go into town for groceries and run any other errands she needs. As for her family, she won’t see them until the end of the season.