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STORIES OF PORTLAND FIRE
The stories of Portland Fire are endless. The best we can hope is to capture a few of the great ones. But so many will remain untold...unless someone tells them. You may have a great story to share. If so, contact this web site and we'll see if something can be put together and shared.
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Some stories are about incidents, large and small. Some are about people. Still others are about the tools and equipment firefighters have used over the many decades. Collectively, they share what Portland Fire has been about since 1853.
Part 1 - Before There Was A Fire Department
There is a beginning to Portland Fire's story. It starts in the early 1850s, before a fire department even existed.
Before there was a fire dept
Part 2 - The Volunteer Era
The "Portland Volunteer Fire Department" would exist from 1853 until 1883. Apparatus, equipment, and fire stations were funded by the city, but firefighters received no pay. It existed at that time the way many volunteer fire departments continue to exist today.
Volunteer Era
Part 3 - Horses and Professionalism
In 1883, the city of Portland would establish a budget to create a paid fire department. It would be called the "Portland Paid Fire Department." The PPFD would serve into the 1900s when civil service and other changes would take place. It was an era of technological change and significant growth of the city.
Horses and professionalism
Part 4 - Civil Service and the Growth of Portland
The advent of civil service and other changes would usher in the era of the "Portland Fire Department" and "Portland Fire Bureau." The name was not the only change during this era.
Civil Service and growth of Portland
Part 5 - The 1980s and Beyond
Time continues on into modern day where the line between today and history is foggy at best. "Portland Fire & Rescue" is now poised to take on significant changes in technology and operations.
1980s and beyond
A Firefighter Account From Multnomah Engine Company #2
If you've ever wondered what it must have been like to be a Portland Firefighter before motorized vehicles...before horse drawn vehicles, back in the early days, this is a must read. John Cullen, a Multnomah Engine Co. 2 firefighter from 1857 to 1860 shared this story.
Firefighter Account Mult #2
Gasoline - The Firefighters
This story appeared in the May 1, 1921 edition of the Sunday Oregonian. Written by Earnest Peterson, it describes the firefighting technology of the day.
Gasoline The Firefighters
The Fire of 1872
Portland has experienced many big fires over the decades, but few have outpaced the resources available to fight them. The fire of 1872 was one of those fires. It is one of the lesser known of large Portland fires, but significant. This story was written by Portland Fire retiree Jim Fairchild.
Fire of 1872
Black Saturday - The Fire of 1873
While many thought the fire of 1872 was the worst, a few short months later, the largest fire known to Portland would occur. It was August 2, 1873, Black Saturday as it would come to be known, when 22 square blocks of the city of Portland would be destroyed by fire. Read on for this detailed account of that challenging day.
Fire of 1873
Fire District #10 - East Multnomah County
Virtually every fire department in Oregon had modest beginnings, usually as a volunteer fire department. Portland Fire began that way and grew as the city grew and other communities/departments were added or annexed by the city. Examples include Sellwood, Albina, East Portland, and Fire District #10. Fire District #10 itself grew from numerous volunteer departments to what it became up until 1984. Here is their story.
As an added bonus, visit the link to the 1981 District 10 yearbook. It was the last yearbook before District 10 entered into the contractual service agreement with Portland Fire. It is truly a snapshot of what it once was.
Fire District #10
Clackamas County Fire District #1
In another contractual agreement like the one with Fire District #10, Clackmas County would contact service from Portland Fire. This would not last long, however. It would contribute employees and concepts that would far outlast the contract agreement. Here is their story.
Clackamas County Fire #1
Fire Alarm Telegraph
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Alerting firefighters to a fire began with bells and evolved to a sophisticated communication system that exists today. Read about the evolution of emergency communications in this article.
Fire Alarm Telegraph
Fire Prevention In Portland
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Fire prevention was not in the orginal architecture of Portland Fire. In fact, it would take 65 years before Fire Prevention would become a formal part of the department. Read the story here, and also look to the story of Jay W. Stevens in the "People" page.
Fire Prevention in Portland
Portland Fire Training​
Training is an inherent part of the job at Portland Fire. However, it was not always a formal component of the service. It was not until 1938 that the first training manual was published, and it was a doozy! Read the story here.
Portland Fire Training
Public Education in Portland ​
Public Education is a sometimes forgotten discipline in the fire service. Portland has a short, but proud tradition in community outreach and public education. It is of particular relevance here since the site host served the majority of his firefighting career doing the challenging work of addressing public knowledge and behavior. Find the story here.
Public Education In Portland
"The Fire Engine Experience"​
The story of Public Education in Portland will share an innovative device purpose-built for the Safety Learning Center & Fire Museum. This was a significant project that is worth sharing as a separate article. The Fire Engine Experience was chronicled in a trade journal for audio/visual professionals and it sums up the project well.
The Modernization Program ​
The "Modernization Program" resulted from a federal grant to upgrade stations and appartus across Portland Fire. In one grant, it would upgrade over 25% of the apparatus fleet and re-arrange fire station locations to keep up with city growth and evolution. Read about this unique financial windfall for Portland Fire.
The Modernization Progrm
Emergency Medical Vehicles
The evolution of emergency medical vehicles and the EMS field in general is very interesting. Like many things, it started as an idea and evolved into the most significant service compontent of today's fire service. The story is told around significant EMS apparatus.
Emergency Medical Vehicles
The Shirlee Ann Memorial and Trust Fund
For firefighters in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland, the story of Shirlee Ann Howell is well known. Her tragic death was the inspiration for life saving efforts that have lived for many years. Read her story and legacy here.
Shirlee Ann
Stories By Ken Carter
Portland Firefighter Ken Carter compiled stories about his career, which began in 1949. His stories provide great insight into what the job was all about during that era.
Ken Carte
Portland's Fire Cisterns
Long before fire hydrants could be found across Portland, fire cisterns were the source of firefighting water. This document shares the origins of the fire cistern in Portland.
Portland's Fire Cisterns
Portland Fire Horses
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Fire horses in Portland represent one of the most colorful and storied periods in Portland Fire history. This document includes several perspectives with photos of the actual fire horses.
Portland Fire Horses
Multnomah Village Fire Department Story​
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Portland Fire is made up of many smaller fire departments that were added as the city annexed surrounding areas. Lowell Swanson compiled this story of Multnomah County Fire District 3 in Multnomah Village. It is a very detailed account of the establishment and evolution of the fire service in Multnomah. Lowell is a contributing author to the Multnomah Historical Association.
Multnomah Village FD
Sellwood Volunteer Fire Departmen
Sellwood Volunteer Fire Department Story​
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Sellwood was another Portland area community that utilized their own volunteer fire department before Portland annexations would include them in Portland Fire. Writer Dana Beck, from Pamplin Media, chronicles the journey of Sellwood from the volunteer era to modern day.
Williams & Bruen
Archie Williams & William Bruen​
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Archie Williams, Chief Engineer for the Portland Volunteer Fire Department would run up against William "Billy" Bruen in the election of 1873. This old newspaper story shares the drama of the election how it changed the course of Archie's life.
Portland Toy & Joy Makers​
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Christmas toy drives may seem like a modern idea, but a Portland Firefighter named Eddie Boatright had the idea in 1914. It has endured for over 100 years and is alive and well today. Read about it in this article.
Portland Toy & Joy Makers
Bargains Galore Fire​
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On May 23, 1997, a fire broke out in the Bargains Galore warehouse in NE Portland. It was a multiple alarm fire that created one of the most dramatic rescues ever. Squad 1's efforts would be documented in an article in Readers Digest in June 1998. Read about the dramatic rescue here.
Bargains Galore Fire
1920 June 13 Oregonian Newspaper Article​
Enjoy this Oregonian Newspaper article, published on June 13, 1920, sharing recollections from "old timers" about the early days of Portland Fire. It recounts stories and passages taken from historic documents that bring clarity to many Portland Fire experiences. Written over a century ago, it speaks to the early days as the "old days." It is very interesting indeed.
1920 Oregonian Newspaper
Forest Park Fire History​
Forest Park in Portland, Oregon is a beautiful city park. It is the largest forested park located within the boundaries of a city in the United States. With that distinction comes some relative dangers, the largest of which is from fire. This article chronicles the fire of 1952 and some of the steps taken in response.
Forest Park Fire History
DC8 Flight 173 Airliner Crash in East Portland​
On December 28, 1978, United Flight 173, a DC8 passenger aircraft, crashed in East Portland. It carried 185 passengers and crew and, remarkably, only 10 fatalities resulted. Attached here is an Oregonian article recounting the incident and the findings by the NTSB. Also included is 45 minutes of audio transmission from the Fire Alarm Dispatch Center. Fire District 10, which would become part of Portland Fire 5 1/2 years later, led the response.
DC8 Airliner Crash in East Portland
World War II
The Lost Stories of Portland​ Firefighters In World War II
Portland Firefighters have likely served in every war since the department began in 1853. Military service was not necessarily kept with great accuracy in personnel files. However, during WWII, there seemed to be a reliability about the notations, including some who were killed in military action. The attached article shares samples of letters from the 239 (of 522) members deployed around the worlds during WWII. Portland Firefighter Henry Rich, who was not deployed, took it upon himself to circulate a series of newsletters that somehow survived time. You can read them here along with the names of all who were known to be deployed (and the 10 who would not return from the war).
Colonel - The Fire Horse
Fire horses have a long, colorful, and storied history with Portland Fire. Many have been called out by name for their dedicated service. The article shared here not only recounts the sevice of "Colonel," but it is in the words of a firefighter who drove Colonel for many of his years of service.
Colonel the fire horse
Portland Fire History 1895
Portland Fire History Account - 1895
Many accounts of Portland Fire's history have been written over the decades. This article from the January 1, 1895 Oregonian is one of the oldest to be found. Because it was written only 42 years after the inception of Portland Fire, it contained a perspective different than others. Being a newspaper article, some details are not completely accurate, but it remains an excellent piece.
1913 Steel Bridge Fire
On July 30th, 1913, a fire ignited on the Steel Bridge creating quite a spectacle in downtown Portland. The newly christened Fireboat David Campbell (the original steam-powered version) responded, but experienced some problems. Read on to learn what happened and what a bridge fire presented as challenges to Portland Fire.
1913 Steel Bridge Fire
Organization and Business Methods of the City of Portland - 1913
This interesting article from May 1913 is likely a significant factor in Portland Fire developing a Fire Prevention Division. While the complete report spoke to many city bureaus, only excerpts relevant to the Portland Fire are shared here.
Organization & Business of Portland
The Longest Serving Fire Company In Portland
Truck 1 enjoyes the distinction of being the longest serving fire company in Portland Fire. In fact, they are also one of the top two on the entire west coast. Learn the details and see the photos of Truck 1's that have served since August 2, 1853.
Truck 1 Story
The Story of Squad 1
The Story of Squad 1
Portland Fire's Squad 1 is a unique piece of apparatus with a long and storied history. It began service in 1925 and has evolved into a premier heavy rescue unit since. Learn the story and see the apparatus that have distinguished this unique apparatus.
Truck Compay Numbering
Truck Company Numbering In Portland
The fire service is full of unusual ways of doing things. The numbering of Ladder Trucks in Portland Fire's history is one of those things that has a confusing history, but actually makes a lot of sense when you come to understand how it happened. Read on to learn the story behind the numbers.
Jack Luihan Water Ambulance
The Jack H. Luihan Water Ambulance
In one of the most forgotten stories Portland Fire has likely ever had, the story of the Jack H. Luihan Water Ambulance has to top the list. Likely existing for less than a week, and never so much as making itself a place on the apparatus list, it disappeared with nothing but a whisper. Probably more reknowned for its creator, it is only remembered under his name...until now. Here is the story.
Exit The Fire Horse
Exit The Fire Horse
By 1913, the handwriting was on the fall. Portland Fire had fully committed to motorized fire apparatus and fire horses were slowly being phased out. It would take from early 1911 to April 1920 to do so. Emotions were mixed. This Oregonian article from November 1913 shares the sentiment at the time. It also shares a harbinger of things to come...an electric fire truck.
The Worst Fire In Portland History
The Pomona Hotel Fire
Every Portland Firefighter has been asked, at some time in their career, about the worst fire in Portland history. The answer may be different for each firefighter but the Pomona Hotel Fire must rank near the top. Read on and decide for yourself.
Chamber of Commerce Fire
The Chamber of Commerce Building Fire
On April 6, 1907, the Chamber of Commerce building in SW Portland would experience a significant fire that would result in one death and a spectacular feat of rescue. This story brings the April 7th Oregon Jounal article back to life with additional information about the benefits, and hazards, of the life net.
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