The Bunkris Fire Tower

Brandtorn

Utsikt över Dalafjällen
From the top you can see far out over the mounatins of Dalarna.. Photo: Maria Jons


Welcome to the Bunkris fire tower!

The tower, which is 24 metres tall and located over 600 metres above sea level, gives a fantastic view of wild country for miles around. If you stand up in the tower you have a view of some of the most magnificent natural scenery in Dalarna. In clear weather you can see beyond the huge forests to the mountains that run from Sälen in the south-west via Näsfjället, Fulufjället, and on towards Städjan, Nipfjället, Fjätervålen, and Vedungsfjällen in the north. The Älvdalen artillery range extends to the east with the low mountain of Storvarden
An extensive firefighting system was developed in Sweden in the nineteenth century. The tower was probably built some time in the 1890s. When it was built it was used as a fire tower so that the fire lookout, in the summer half of the year, could keep watch over large areas of forest in Älvdalen.
During the Second World War the Bunkris fire tower was used as an aircraft warning centre by the military authorities. Aircraft warning was the work of female staff from the women’s voluntary defence service.
When the tower was built, a large pine tree was used for support and help. The pine stands as a central
point inside the tower but has no function today.
.
Photo Maria Jons
The oldest road had run
5 km east of the present one.
It was called the Common
Road (Allmunvägen) and
for a long time it was used
in the winter instead of the
new road. As far as we know,
Allmunvägen has been used
for walking and sleighs since
the fifteenth century. It was on
this road that Carl Linnaeus
travelled in 1734.
Karta
Map: Björn Lundqvist
In clear weather there is an outstanding view.
Utsikt
Photo: Private
En Bläckad trästam
A blazed tree trunk. Photo: Tysk Staffan Eriksson		 The fire tower is visible from the
road,situated on highway 70
between Älvdalen and Särna.
Bunkris fire tower was restored in
2004-2006. The tower has been
straightened and fitted with a tin roof
and new cover boarding.
Bunkris brandtorn 1902
The Bunkris Fire Tower 1902. Photo: Private
     

Main financiers of the project:
Sveaskog
Länsstyrelsen
Trängslets vattenregleringsfond
Skogsstyrelsen (NOKÅS)
Älvdalens jordägare
Åsens byalag
Älvdalens kommun