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History of the Fire Department

The Marin County Fire Department was founded in 1941.

Our history

Marin has had a long history of wildfires. Wildfires are a natural part of the environment that help to clear out dead plants and let healthy new growth flourish. But after colonial settlement, wildfires were viewed as a major problem. People were building structures and investing in logging operations; wildfires threatened these towns and businesses.

Since the late 1800s, fire fighting associations have fought wildfires in Marin. These associations built fire lookouts and were often supported by community members. The first legal forest fire district was established in Marin in 1917. This was the Tamalpais Forest Fire District. The firefighters who protected this district used fire lookouts, firefighters on horseback and in cars, and backpack water cans. Some of the fire lookouts that were built in the 1930s are in the same places as some of our fire detection cameras today.

Then, a new kind of fire administration was created. The Marin County Fire Department was founded in 1941. The Fire Department was first housed in Woodacre, before the first station was built in Point Reyes. By the 1960s, the Fire Department had 40 staff members. Today, there are over 130 staff members helping to fight fires and protect Marin residents. 
 

  • 3 firefighters use hand tools to cut down brush. Black and white photo.
    A group of firefighters cuts back vegetation to create a fire break in the early 1900s.
  • A fire truck drives up a curving road on the side of a hill, low brush in background. Black and white photo.
    A 1930s fire truck that was capable of carrying its own water supply.
  • 6 men attaching hoses to 2 fire trucks. The background is smokey. Black and white photo.
    A group of firefighters fighting a fire in the 1930s.
  • Portrait of a man in a fire uniform in front of a building. Black and white photo.
    The Fire Marshall circa 1900.
  • A steam train with mountains and smoke in background. Black and white photo.
    A steam-powered train transporting firefighters in mountainous area around 1900.
  • Mount Tamalpais with smoke billowing from one side. Black and white photo.
    A wildfire on Mount Tamalpais circa 1900.
  • Two firefighters using hand tools in low brush. Black and white photo.
    A fire crew putting out remaining hotspots after a wildfire, circa 1900.
  • A large group of firefighters next to a steam train, on a hillside. Black and white photo.
    A team of firefighters and their train transportation circa 1900
  • Three firefighters in front of an easel with shovels and other tools. On the easel are a map and posters. Black and white photo.
    Firefighters planning their offense in the early 1900s.
  • 6 men standing around a car. Edwin Gardner stands in front wearing a suit. Black and white photo.
    Edwin B. Gardner, the first Fire Chief of the Tamalpais Forest Fire District.
  • A man in fire uniform standing next to a car. The car obscures the background. Black and white photo.
    The Fire Warden and his car in the 1930s.
  • A young girl sitting on the hood of a car outside a building. Black and white photo.
    The Fire Warden’s daughter in the 1930s.
  • A large group of firefighters standing on a hill, looking out at smoke. Black and white photo.
    The fire crew assessing a fire in the 1930s.
  • A line of 11 fire trucks, trees in background. Black and white photo.
    A fleet of fire trucks, circa 1938.
  • An old fire truck in the road, mountain in the background. Black and white photo.
    A hose truck, circa 1956.
  • A large group of men standing next to a line of cars, mountains and trees in the background. Black and white photo.
    A fleet of firefighting vehicles. This photo was likely taken in the 1960s.
  • A map showing the location of 6 fire crews. A finger points to one of the crew locations. Black and white photo.
    A map showing the distribution of crews, in the 1940s.
  • A car on the side of a road with hills in the background. Black and white photo.
    A firetruck from the 1940s.
  • A line of 5 1950s cars along a road. Black and white photo.
    A fleet of fire fighting vehicles.
  • 4 children standing in front of a building in formal clothes. Black and white photo.
    The Fire Warden’s family in the 1940s.
  • Two firefighters seen from a distance, standing next to a fire warning sign, mountains in background. Black and white photo.
    Firefighters standing near a Smokey the Bear sign. This photo was likely taken in the 1960s.
  • 7 men standing on the porch of a wooden building. Black and white photo.
    A fire crew circa 1900.
  • A road cuts through a wooded mountain, with trees in the foreground. Black and white photo.
    A fire break or fire road circa 1900.
  • A woman in a nurse's uniform uses a fire extinguisher. Three men stand next to her, two in suits and one in a fire uniform. Black and white photo.
    Receiving training on how to use a fire extinguisher, in the 1940s.
  • A road cuts through a hillside, with smoke in background. Black and white photo.
    Smoke from a wildfire, seen in 1929.
  • A crew of eight firefighters works with hand tools in low brush to put out a fire. Black and white photo.
    Firefighters putting out hotspots from a 1929 wildfire.
  • Clouds of smoke over a mountain, with low brush in the foreground. Black and white photo.
    Smoke from a 1929 wildfire, showing the size of the blaze.
  • A crew of seven firefighters holding hand tools run through low brush. Black and white photo.
    Firefighters retreating from a fast moving wildfire, in the 1920s.

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Page last updated on Diciembre 4, 2024.

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