Our History

OUR HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL: 

The Columbia Breaks Fire Center began with the desire to save an old Forest Service fire lookout, by bringing it down from the mountains to an accessible spot along a well-traveled highway. In 1990, Nancy Belt, an assistant fire dispatcher for the Wenatchee National Forest, planted the seed for the project by securing a grant from the US Forest Service to study the feasibility of establishing such a site. 

The idea grew over the years into a much broader dream. With time and work a foundation was formed and the vision expanded to that of a world-class fire interpretive center that would illustrate the ecological role of fire and showcase the interactions of people with fire. With strong public support, the concept is expanding into reality as the Columbia Breaks Fire Center continues to develop and become even more relevant in a West where the fires are becoming more frequent and more intense.