Marin County Fire History
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  • Line of Duty Deaths
    • 1909 S.J. Frooman Died Fighting Jute Mill Fire
    • 1914 Fireman Aristid Papadimetrion Ross VFD
    • 1924 Fire Chief Walter A. Cook, Sausalito FD
    • 1932 Fire Warden Clarence C. Grimm, Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • 1936 Captain Robert A. "Bert" Meagor, San Anselmo FD
    • 1937 Fireman Louis H. Hewelcke, San Rafael FD
    • 1948 Fire Chief Samuel L. Mazza, Marin County FD
    • 1950 Fireman Aubrey E. "Jack" Miller, San Rafael FD
    • 1950 Fireman William "Sonny" Bottini Jr., San Rafael FD
    • 1958 Battalion Chief David A. Coutts, San Rafael FD
    • 1960 Cheda, Virgilio San Rafael FD Fire Marshal
    • 1961 Fireman Paul Hogancamp Marin County FD
    • 1961 Fireman Frank Kinsler, Alto Fire District
    • 1962 Fireman Thomas James Sutton Jr., Marinwood FD
    • 1967 Lake Keeper Raymond Paul Halderman, MMWD
    • 1969 Fire Chief George J. Cavallero, Novato FPD
    • 1970 Assistant Fire Chief Samuel J. Blumenberg, Hamilton Air Force Base FD
    • 1978 Fireman James Niven, Larkspur FD
    • 1980 - William Marsh, San Rafael FD
    • 2003 Firefighter Steven Rucker, Novato FPD
    • 2006 Paramedic and Captain Robert Paoli, Marinwood FD
    • 2008 Deputy Chief Jeff Powers, Southern Marin FPD
  • Major Fires, Incidents
    • Structure Fires >
      • 1875 Saucelito House Fire, in Sausalito
      • 1876 Structure Fire San Quentin Prison
      • 1884 Steamer Sausalito Ship Fire San Quentin
      • 1885 Tocaloma Hotel Tocaloma
      • 1890 Tiburon Burns Down
      • 1893 Sausalito Stables Fire
      • 1893 Sausalito Downtown Fire
      • 1893 San Rafael Buildings Burn
      • 1894 Larkspur Inn Burned Down
      • 1898 Tomales Downtown Burns
      • 1907 Original Muir Woods Inn
      • 1907 San Anselmo Structures
      • 1908 Lagunitas Country Club Fire in Ross
      • 1909 Jute Mill Fire, San Quentin Prison
      • 1910 Corte Madera Homes Burned
      • 1910 Rossi's Villa Fire San Anselmo
      • 1911 Pastori's in Fairfax
      • 1913 Robert Dollar School Fire San Anselmo
      • 1913 Muir Woods Inn
      • 1913 Corte Madera Structure Fires
      • 1914 Town of Ross Structure Fires
      • 1915 Warehouse Fire San Rafael
      • 1915 B Street Fire, San Rafael
      • 1916 Samuel P. Taylor Paper Mill Fire
      • 1916 Tocaloma Hotel Fire
      • 1917 Belvedere Union Fish Plant
      • 1918 E.K. Woods Lumber Company San Anselmo
      • 1919 St Raphael's Church
      • 1920 The Great Tomales Fire
      • 1920 Madden Shipyards Fire Sausalito
      • 1920 St. Francis Club, Kentfield
      • 1921 Tiburon, NWPRR Machine Shops
      • 1921 Tiburon Main Street Fire
      • 1923 Tavern of Tamalpais Burns Down
      • 1923 Mason Distillery Fire Sausalito
      • 1924 Shriner's Lodge San Rafael
      • 1926 Alta Mira Villa Fire, Sausalito
      • 1928 Rafael Hotel Fire
      • 1929 Tam O'Shanter Inn Corte Madera
      • 1929 Larkspur Nursery Explosion & Fire
      • 1929 Hotel Rossi Fairfax
      • 1929 Red Mill Inn, San Quentin
      • 1934 St. Cecilia's Church, San Geronimo
      • 1937 Belvedere, Union Fish Company Cod Plant
      • 1937 Orpheus Theater San Rafael
      • 1940 Hotel Nicasio Burns Down
      • 1940 Christiansen Lumber Mill San Rafael
      • 1945 Pini Building Novato
      • 1946 Crockett Warehouse Fire
      • 1949 Bath House Fire San Rafael
      • 1950 Marin Storage & Trucking Company Fire San Rafael
      • 1950 Mar Vista Motors San Rafael
      • 1951 Food Bank Fire, Larkspur
      • 1951 Jute Mill Fire, San Quentin Prison
      • 1952 San Rafael Building & Plumbing Fire
      • 1952 Little Heating & Sheet Metal San Anselmo
      • 1952 Jocko's Hotel Nicasio
      • 1955 Bleu Baie Tavern, Marshall
      • 1955 Lodge Fire San Rafael
      • 1956 Olema Fatality Fire - Three Children
      • 1957 Hotaling Mansion Fire San Anselmo
      • 1957 Fourth St. Fire San Rafael
      • 1958 Simmons Building Downtown Novato
      • 1958 Bellach Furniture Fire San Rafael
      • 1960 Shipyards Fire Sausalito
      • 1960 O'Neill and Logan Fire
      • 1961 Puerto Suello Tunnel
      • 1963 College of Marin Gymnasium Kentfield
      • 1963 American Distilling Company Fire in Sausalito
      • 1964 Duplex Fires Tiburon FPD
      • 1969 Novato Olompali Mansion Burns
      • 1969 San Rafael Tire & Brake
      • 1971 Court House Fires, San Rafael
      • 1975 New Joes Fire, Corte Madera
      • 1976 Peter Donahue Building Fire Tiburon
      • 1977 Lumber Yard Fire Novato
      • 1990 Dominican Convent Fire SR
      • 2008 Upland Fire, Corte Madera
    • Wildfires >
      • 1800's >
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        • 1859 Mt. Tamalpais Fire, Mill Valley
        • 1865 Forest Fire Bolinas Bay Woods
        • 1878 Nicasio Wildfire
        • 1881 Forest Fire Blithedale Canyon Mill Valley
        • 1889 Forest Fire Corte Madera
        • 1890 Forest Fire San Rafael to Bolinas
        • 1891 Forest Fire Bill Williams Gulch
        • 1892 Wildfire Bolinas Road
        • 1893 Forest Fire Mill Valley and Mt. Tam
        • 1894 Forest Fire Mill Valley
        • 1899 Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Larkspur Wildfire
      • 1904 Forest Fire Bolinas Ridge
      • 1909 Larkspur Forest Fire
      • 1913 Mt. Tamalpais, Larkspur, and Muir Woods Fire
      • 1917 Inverness Ridge Wildfire
      • 1919 Muir Woods and Mt. Tam
      • 1919 Sausalito Hills
      • 1923 Wildfires including Ignacio to Bolinas Ridge, Fairfax
      • 1926 Tamalpais Fires
      • 1928 Wildfire Fort Barry
      • 1929 The Great Mill Valley Fire
      • 1932 Shafter Ranch Fire West Marin
      • 1932 Thanksgiving Day Wildfire, Near Alpine Club
      • 1936 Bolinas Ridge Wildfire
      • 1943 Bald Hill Fire Ross Valley
      • 1945 The Mill Fire, Carson Canyon
      • 1947 Corte Madera Wildfire
      • 1949 Ignacio Big Rock Ridge Wildfire
      • 1953 St. Vincents Marinwood
      • 1953 Sausalito, Wildfire
      • 1954 Guide Dogs for the Blind Terra Linda MCFD
      • 1958 Black Canyon San Rafael Wildfire
      • 1959 Kent Canyon, Brazil Ranch Wildfire
      • 1964 Hanly Fire, Sonoma County Mutual Aid
      • 1965 Muir Woods Wildfire
      • 1965 Chileno Valley Wildfire
      • 1966 Marincello Wildfire, Southern Marin Headlands
      • 1967 Bald Hill Fire, Ross
      • 1969 - Red Hill Fire, San Anselmo
      • 1972 Angel Island State Park
      • 1972 Kent Woodlands, October 9
      • 1976 Sorich Park Wildfire San Rafael
      • 1991 The Oakland Fire Mutual Aid
      • 1995 Mount Vision Fire Inverness
      • 2008 Angel Island Wildfire
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  • Special Recognition & Award Recipients
    • Bain, Mert, Fireman Larkspur Fire Department
    • Bent, Edward W. State Fire Training
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    • Marcucci, Robert, Chief San Rafael FD, retired
    • McLaren, Richard Evans, Chief San Anselmo FD
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    • Nelson, Ron, Lieutenant, Larkspur FD
    • Reilley, Charles R. (Jr.) Chief Marin County FD
    • Selby, Norman, "Kid McCoy" Fire Chief San Quentin
    • Wedemeyer, Arthur E. (Jr.), US Marine Corps, Larkspur FD
    • Wilson, Irwin "Willie" , Engineer Larkspur FD
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      • Bogel, Steve - Chief, Sausalito FD
      • Bunker, Fred - Division Chief Sausalito FD, retired.
      • Pedersen, Swede Sausalito FD
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      • Rappole Bliss, Rosemary - Chief, Tiburon FPD
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    • Drady, Harold "Spike" Nicasio VFD Chief
    • Gardner, Edwiin B. Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • Goodson, Carl - Battalion Chief, Santa Rosa FD, retired.
    • Hensley, William J. Tamalpais Forest Fire District
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    • Kobseff, Nicolas 'Nick' Chief Nicasio VFD
    • Livingston, Dewey - West Marin Historian
    • McMurray, Bill Marin County Communications, MCSO
    • Mersereau, Laurence "Bunk" - Chief, Belvedere FD
    • Rogers, Art - Photographer
    • Souza, Robert - Chief, Tamalpais FPD
    • White, Dan - Ambulance Company Owner, Businessman & Videographer
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    • The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders, Origin
  • Fire Apparatus & Equipment
    • C.A.M. Manufacturing & Louis P. Soldavini
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    • Historical List of Apparatus For Marin County
    • 1850 Austrian Hand Pumper, Larkspur FD
    • 1916 Ford Model T Chemical Engine Larkspur
    • 1922 Stutz Fire Pumper San Rafael
    • 1923 American La France Pumper, Mill Valley FD
    • 1923 Ford Model T, Novato FD
    • 1927 American La France Pumper, Kentfield
    • 1929 Seagrave Pumper, Fairfax FD

The Great Fire of September, 1919
Sausalito, California




​

The September 19, 1919 Sausalito Wildfire
Twelve homes, five stores, and a church hall destroyed.

Sausalito is located on the southeastern end of Marin County, adjacent to the San Francisco Bay, and at the western end of the Golden Gate Bridge. The only large flat areas of the community are down near the water – otherwise it has fairly steep hills and valleys filled with homes and other structures. The community often experiences cool and moist weather being located along the water, with fog commonly rolling back and forth across the hills.
 
In these cool and moist conditions it would be hard for visitors to imagine a raging wildfire in the area, but under the right weather conditions it can and has occurred. This is the story of one of the largest and most damaging of those fires in the recorded history of Sausalito. Remember that in 1919 there were few motorized fire apparatus available, with the fire service still in transition from the hand and horse drawn era. Most fire departments like Sausalito were fully volunteer, and there were no air attack planes as commonly used today when fighting wildfires. There were no organized fire department hand crews, although fighting such fires with hand tools and wet sacks was the most common methodology.
 
Given the general lack of extensive community waterpipe systems with fire hydrants, the most common early motorized fire engines used chemical tanks to create pressure to spray water. These chemical tank systems had been in use for several decades, first on hand or horse drawn carts. They used acid combined with soda dissolved in water to start a chemical reaction that would produce carbon dioxide. In this process, the carbon dioxide expanded, pressurizing the tank and propelling the entire mixture out of the hoseline and onto the fire.

There were no portable or mobile radios for communication, and in this case the community relied on ringing a church bell to sound the alarm of fire. There were no bridges across the San Francisco Bay, nor were there many paved roads in the city, with dirt or gravel packed streets being the most common. On the positive side for firefighting, Marin and the Bay Area had a very large military presence, and they would often be called in to help with large fires.
 
Sausalito in 1919 was a small but growing town. Coming from San Francisco or Oakland, ferries led to railroads, and since the various Bay Area bridges did not exist, Sausalito became a bustling waterfront transportation hub. Wealthy San Franciscans vacationed there in summer homes, including large, ornate Victorian mansions. When the Golden Gate Bridge was opened in 1937, the community transitioned from being a transportation hub to what is today more of a tourist attraction with spectacular views and a very popular waterfront.
 
By 1919 a large working class and mercantile community had developed along Water Street (later to become Bridgeway.) The people included fishermen, Italian and German merchants, Portuguese boatbuilders, Chinese shopkeepers, dairy ranchers, boarding house operators and railroad workers.
 
The Sausalito Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1909, originally with a fire wagon and horses and five hose cart stations. Arthur Jewett was paid $25 a month to serve as the Fire Chief. An actual firehouse was built down on the waterfront in 1914, and residents were informed of the new fire alarm system - church bells to call volunteers from their homes.

 
The fire that began on September 19, 1919 was initially a smoldering outdoor burnpile, near the home of Sausalito resident and painter E. Chalopin. Unfortunately, a heavy wind came up and fanned the flames “…with lightning rapidity…”, according to the Sausalito News. Outdoor burn piles are well known today as significant fire hazards that can ‘take off’ under the right weather conditions. Often the person supervising the pile has left it alone after the flames are gone, to eventually smolder down to cold ashes. For this reason and also air quality concerns, burn piles in California today are typically either required to be permitted and are regulated, or even banned entirely.
 
Initially the Sausalito Volunteer Fire Department, led by Fire Chief W.R. Walker and assisted by a large number of citizens, worked hard fighting this fire, even though many had been up the night before fighting another fire in the hills. Sausalito Mayor E. G. Coughlin, as soon as he realized the extreme danger, quickly telephoned San Francisco Mayor James “Sunny Jim” Rolph to ask that a fire tugboat be sent over immediately to help. Mayor Rolph responded quickly, sending the fire tug Dennis T. Sullivan, along with Fire Chief Thomas Murphy, a large force of firemen, three chemical engines and a hose tender. Remember that the Golden Gate Bridge did not exist at that time, so it is assumed the resources were transported both by the fire tugs and by barge or ferry.
 
Following the disastrous 1906 Earthquake and Fire, San Francisco had ordered two fire tugboats to be built to boost firefighting capabilities. The steam-powered boats were named after Chief Sullivan, and Chief David S. Scannell, the first paid fire chief for San Francisco in 1871. The two boats were built on the SF waterfront by the Risdon Iron Works in 1909 at a combined cost of $279,618, or in 2016 dollars about $7.1 million. They were each capable of delivering 10,000 gallons of water per minute from the bay waters.


Dennis T. Sullivan was the Fire Chief who was killed in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, when a building collapse next door heavily damaged the San Francisco firehouse where he was sleeping with his wife. Note that the next Sausalito Fire Chief after W.R. Walker was Walter A. Cook, a retired San Francisco Battalion Chief. Cook had been on duty at the same fire station in 1906, and helped to rescue Sullivan and his wife from the collapse. Read about this story on our Line of Duty Deaths pages – Chief Cook was killed in the Line of Duty in Sausalito in 1924 fighting a residential structure fire.
 
In addition to the forces from San Francisco FD, the U.S. Army provided great assistance. Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett sent several hundred solders equipped for fire fighting from their locations nearby that included the Presidio, and Forts Baker, Barry and Scott. In addition, the San Francisco Examiner reported that soldiers were dispatched from “Goat Island”, today called Yerba Buena Island, located next to Treasure Island.

As reported by the Sausalito News: “Fort Scott sent 432 enlisted men and thirty-five officers, belonging to the 58th, 57th and 50th regiments, under command of Brigadier General William C. D., visiting commanding officer of the 31st brigade, Coast Artillery Corps. Presidio sent a detachment of the 11th Cavalry, 98 enlisted men and five officers, also two companies of the transcontinental motor convoy, the latter under command of Major H. C. Farrell, and the entire command under Lieut. Colonel K. C. White of the 44th infantry. Captain L. H. Nixon was with the 44th. Captain W. J. Johnson of Fort Baker with a large number of men did excellent work in the south end of the town.“

 
The Sausalito News reported that the Larkspur Volunteer Fire Department responded to fight the flames. We can speculate they came in their three-year old 1916 Ford Model T Chemical Truck, the pride of the department. There were fires burning in both Muir Woods and Mill Valley at the same time, so it is not known yet if other Marin Fire Departments responded to Sausalito, but research will continue.

Two Secretaries to SF Mayor Rolph turned out in their firefighting clothes to help - Edward Rainey, and W. P. Benedict. They “…were of great assistance…”, according to the Sausalito News. Hundreds of people from the town and many automobilists assisted in removing the household items from houses in the path of the fire to different parts of the town. Even boat launches were used to carry the belongings of those impacted. 
 
“The homes of all were thrown open to the homeless people last night,” as reported the News, “Miss Caroline Fiedler, local chairman of the American Red Cross, with a large number of will workers, opened up headquarters in the San Francisco Yacht Club. Mrs. George Nelson and others were carrying coffee to the fire fighters.”
 
“Lieut. Colonel White had a large force of men patrolling both South Sausalito and Wildwood Glen last night, using sacks and shovels to extinguish fires. Early this morning a fire started on the hillside below the transformer station of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. It was noticed from below by the officers, but before they came near It, it was extinguished by the soldiers stationed in that section of the hill. Mrs. Dwyer, occupying the Adolph Spreckels home on South Street, provided sleeping accommodations for several officers and over forty soldiers. T. Powell, C. H. Wollman, Eric Stewart, Joe Blatcelt, W. T. Burney, and others placed their autos in service for transportation of soldiers.”
 
Sausalito Fire Chief Walter R. Walker said "My men for the twenty-four hours previous to the time the fire started up in South Sausalito yesterday afternoon, have been busy fighting the fire that started in Wildwood Glen and spread Into South Sausalito and, in patrolling the burnt district, extinguishing fires and covering them up with a shovel.”

The Chief continued “…with two chemicals [fire trucks or wagons] we extinguished a blaze on the hillside near Chalopin's about 1:30 p.m. and went back to the fire house and refilled the chemicals. When we returned there the whole hillside near Sausalito Boulevard was ablaze. Trustee Manuel Flores told me that from his home he saw a mass of fire rolling down the hill and in a few minutes everything was ablaze. The fire loss would not have been more than possibly one or two houses had we sufficient fire hose.”
 
“We needed a few hundred feet of additional hose and we would have had no difficulty in saving all outside of the Arbogast and Baker houses. The volunteer fire department has worked hard, night and day for the last forty hours and deserve credit for their work."

 
Twelve homes and five stores were completely burned out by the fire. In addition, fires on the roofs of the multiple homes and businesses were extinguished before any significant damage. The Holy Family Hall on Third St., used as a Catholic church and belonging to the parish, was totally destroyed. The South End Grocery Store, belonging to William McCarthy, was saved with slight fire damage. Many grass fires and roof fires were also promptly put out. A spark landed on and set fire to the canvas covering on Adolph Spreckels power boat cruiser Lurllne, moored five hundred feet off shore. It was extinguished quickly, with only minor damage.

Through the courtesy of J. K. Brassill, superintendent of the Southern Division of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, General Davis made his headquarters in Mr. Brassill's office in the ferry building in order to keep in touch with the fire here as well as in Mill Valley and Mulr Woods. Lieut Colonel Joseph C. Hatie, aide de camp to Lieut. General Liggett, came over and spent his time between here and Mill Valley, to keep General Liggett Informed.


The News later reported "Sausalito Mayor Coughlin, the town trustees, and the citizens of Sausalito wish to express their great appreciation to Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett, Mayor James D. Rolph, and Fire Chief Thomas R. Murphy. General Liggett, in response to telephonic appeal for help from Town Trustee Murphy, sent General Davis with a large force of men from Fort Scott and from Forts Baker and Barry with a large number of men equipped for fire fighting, over very rapidly."

Sources: The Sausalito News, The San Francisco Examiner, and the book "Sausalito: Moments in Time", by Jack Tracy, available through the Sausalito Historical Society. A Pictorial History of Sausalito’s First One Hundred Years: 1850-1950.
Go To Sausalito Historical Society Web Site

Fire Related Photographs - Slide Show

Thank you letter from U.S. Army for Hospitality

Sausalito News, Volume 35, Number 39, 27 September 1919
 
ARMY APPRECIATES SAUSALITO’S HOSPITALITY
Headquarters, 31st Artillery Brigade CAC  
Fort Wlnfield Scott, California
21 September, 1919.
 
From: Commanding General
To: the Mayor of Sausalito, California
Subject: Appreciation of Hospitality Shown Troops.
 
On behalf of the officers and men of the several detachments recently on duty In your city in connection with fire protection, permit me to extend to you, and through you to the trustees, fire chief and other officials and to the superintendent and other employees of the Northwestern Pacific Railway; to the Local Auxiliary of the Red Cross; and to your citizens generally, our hearty thanks and appreciation of the hospitality in the way of food, shelter, etc., tendered us by your community. While sympathizing with the community In their dire affliction you may be sure that we have returned home with a warm feeling for your people and with best wishes for your prosperity.
 
Signed, WILLIAM C. DAVIS. Brigadier General U. S. Army (born 1866 - died 1958)

A telegram of appreciation was sent by Sausalito Mayor E.G. Coughlin to San Francisco Mayor James "Sunny Jim" Rolph Jr., following the fire, to thank him for the response of the SFFD. The letter below is a letter in return from Mayor Rolph, who would go on to serve as Governor of California.

This original letter is part of a collection owned by Dr. Stephen Mizroch, retired M.D. with Kaiser and a San Rafael Fire Commissioner.

Picture
James “Sunny Jim” Rolph Jr. (August 23, 1869 – June 2, 1934) He was elected to a single term as the 27th governor of California from January 6, 1931 until his death on June 2, 1934 at the height of the Great Depression. Previously, Rolph had been the 30th mayor of San Francisco from January 8, 1912 until his resignation to become governor. Rolph remains the longest serving mayor in San Francisco history.
Picture
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      • Terra Linda FD
      • Tiburon Naval Net Depot FD
      • Tomales VFD
  • Blog
  • Videos & LIVE! Stream
  • Line of Duty Deaths
    • 1909 S.J. Frooman Died Fighting Jute Mill Fire
    • 1914 Fireman Aristid Papadimetrion Ross VFD
    • 1924 Fire Chief Walter A. Cook, Sausalito FD
    • 1932 Fire Warden Clarence C. Grimm, Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • 1936 Captain Robert A. "Bert" Meagor, San Anselmo FD
    • 1937 Fireman Louis H. Hewelcke, San Rafael FD
    • 1948 Fire Chief Samuel L. Mazza, Marin County FD
    • 1950 Fireman Aubrey E. "Jack" Miller, San Rafael FD
    • 1950 Fireman William "Sonny" Bottini Jr., San Rafael FD
    • 1958 Battalion Chief David A. Coutts, San Rafael FD
    • 1960 Cheda, Virgilio San Rafael FD Fire Marshal
    • 1961 Fireman Paul Hogancamp Marin County FD
    • 1961 Fireman Frank Kinsler, Alto Fire District
    • 1962 Fireman Thomas James Sutton Jr., Marinwood FD
    • 1967 Lake Keeper Raymond Paul Halderman, MMWD
    • 1969 Fire Chief George J. Cavallero, Novato FPD
    • 1970 Assistant Fire Chief Samuel J. Blumenberg, Hamilton Air Force Base FD
    • 1978 Fireman James Niven, Larkspur FD
    • 1980 - William Marsh, San Rafael FD
    • 2003 Firefighter Steven Rucker, Novato FPD
    • 2006 Paramedic and Captain Robert Paoli, Marinwood FD
    • 2008 Deputy Chief Jeff Powers, Southern Marin FPD
  • Major Fires, Incidents
    • Structure Fires >
      • 1875 Saucelito House Fire, in Sausalito
      • 1876 Structure Fire San Quentin Prison
      • 1884 Steamer Sausalito Ship Fire San Quentin
      • 1885 Tocaloma Hotel Tocaloma
      • 1890 Tiburon Burns Down
      • 1893 Sausalito Stables Fire
      • 1893 Sausalito Downtown Fire
      • 1893 San Rafael Buildings Burn
      • 1894 Larkspur Inn Burned Down
      • 1898 Tomales Downtown Burns
      • 1907 Original Muir Woods Inn
      • 1907 San Anselmo Structures
      • 1908 Lagunitas Country Club Fire in Ross
      • 1909 Jute Mill Fire, San Quentin Prison
      • 1910 Corte Madera Homes Burned
      • 1910 Rossi's Villa Fire San Anselmo
      • 1911 Pastori's in Fairfax
      • 1913 Robert Dollar School Fire San Anselmo
      • 1913 Muir Woods Inn
      • 1913 Corte Madera Structure Fires
      • 1914 Town of Ross Structure Fires
      • 1915 Warehouse Fire San Rafael
      • 1915 B Street Fire, San Rafael
      • 1916 Samuel P. Taylor Paper Mill Fire
      • 1916 Tocaloma Hotel Fire
      • 1917 Belvedere Union Fish Plant
      • 1918 E.K. Woods Lumber Company San Anselmo
      • 1919 St Raphael's Church
      • 1920 The Great Tomales Fire
      • 1920 Madden Shipyards Fire Sausalito
      • 1920 St. Francis Club, Kentfield
      • 1921 Tiburon, NWPRR Machine Shops
      • 1921 Tiburon Main Street Fire
      • 1923 Tavern of Tamalpais Burns Down
      • 1923 Mason Distillery Fire Sausalito
      • 1924 Shriner's Lodge San Rafael
      • 1926 Alta Mira Villa Fire, Sausalito
      • 1928 Rafael Hotel Fire
      • 1929 Tam O'Shanter Inn Corte Madera
      • 1929 Larkspur Nursery Explosion & Fire
      • 1929 Hotel Rossi Fairfax
      • 1929 Red Mill Inn, San Quentin
      • 1934 St. Cecilia's Church, San Geronimo
      • 1937 Belvedere, Union Fish Company Cod Plant
      • 1937 Orpheus Theater San Rafael
      • 1940 Hotel Nicasio Burns Down
      • 1940 Christiansen Lumber Mill San Rafael
      • 1945 Pini Building Novato
      • 1946 Crockett Warehouse Fire
      • 1949 Bath House Fire San Rafael
      • 1950 Marin Storage & Trucking Company Fire San Rafael
      • 1950 Mar Vista Motors San Rafael
      • 1951 Food Bank Fire, Larkspur
      • 1951 Jute Mill Fire, San Quentin Prison
      • 1952 San Rafael Building & Plumbing Fire
      • 1952 Little Heating & Sheet Metal San Anselmo
      • 1952 Jocko's Hotel Nicasio
      • 1955 Bleu Baie Tavern, Marshall
      • 1955 Lodge Fire San Rafael
      • 1956 Olema Fatality Fire - Three Children
      • 1957 Hotaling Mansion Fire San Anselmo
      • 1957 Fourth St. Fire San Rafael
      • 1958 Simmons Building Downtown Novato
      • 1958 Bellach Furniture Fire San Rafael
      • 1960 Shipyards Fire Sausalito
      • 1960 O'Neill and Logan Fire
      • 1961 Puerto Suello Tunnel
      • 1963 College of Marin Gymnasium Kentfield
      • 1963 American Distilling Company Fire in Sausalito
      • 1964 Duplex Fires Tiburon FPD
      • 1969 Novato Olompali Mansion Burns
      • 1969 San Rafael Tire & Brake
      • 1971 Court House Fires, San Rafael
      • 1975 New Joes Fire, Corte Madera
      • 1976 Peter Donahue Building Fire Tiburon
      • 1977 Lumber Yard Fire Novato
      • 1990 Dominican Convent Fire SR
      • 2008 Upland Fire, Corte Madera
    • Wildfires >
      • 1800's >
        • 1852 Marin County Wildfires
        • 1859 Mt. Tamalpais Fire, Mill Valley
        • 1865 Forest Fire Bolinas Bay Woods
        • 1878 Nicasio Wildfire
        • 1881 Forest Fire Blithedale Canyon Mill Valley
        • 1889 Forest Fire Corte Madera
        • 1890 Forest Fire San Rafael to Bolinas
        • 1891 Forest Fire Bill Williams Gulch
        • 1892 Wildfire Bolinas Road
        • 1893 Forest Fire Mill Valley and Mt. Tam
        • 1894 Forest Fire Mill Valley
        • 1899 Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Larkspur Wildfire
      • 1904 Forest Fire Bolinas Ridge
      • 1909 Larkspur Forest Fire
      • 1913 Mt. Tamalpais, Larkspur, and Muir Woods Fire
      • 1917 Inverness Ridge Wildfire
      • 1919 Muir Woods and Mt. Tam
      • 1919 Sausalito Hills
      • 1923 Wildfires including Ignacio to Bolinas Ridge, Fairfax
      • 1926 Tamalpais Fires
      • 1928 Wildfire Fort Barry
      • 1929 The Great Mill Valley Fire
      • 1932 Shafter Ranch Fire West Marin
      • 1932 Thanksgiving Day Wildfire, Near Alpine Club
      • 1936 Bolinas Ridge Wildfire
      • 1943 Bald Hill Fire Ross Valley
      • 1945 The Mill Fire, Carson Canyon
      • 1947 Corte Madera Wildfire
      • 1949 Ignacio Big Rock Ridge Wildfire
      • 1953 St. Vincents Marinwood
      • 1953 Sausalito, Wildfire
      • 1954 Guide Dogs for the Blind Terra Linda MCFD
      • 1958 Black Canyon San Rafael Wildfire
      • 1959 Kent Canyon, Brazil Ranch Wildfire
      • 1964 Hanly Fire, Sonoma County Mutual Aid
      • 1965 Muir Woods Wildfire
      • 1965 Chileno Valley Wildfire
      • 1966 Marincello Wildfire, Southern Marin Headlands
      • 1967 Bald Hill Fire, Ross
      • 1969 - Red Hill Fire, San Anselmo
      • 1972 Angel Island State Park
      • 1972 Kent Woodlands, October 9
      • 1976 Sorich Park Wildfire San Rafael
      • 1991 The Oakland Fire Mutual Aid
      • 1995 Mount Vision Fire Inverness
      • 2008 Angel Island Wildfire
    • Storms and Weather
    • Accidents and Rescues
    • Hazardous Materials Incidents
  • Special Recognition & Award Recipients
    • Bain, Mert, Fireman Larkspur Fire Department
    • Bent, Edward W. State Fire Training
    • Coleman, Ronny J. State Fire Marshal, retired
    • Dufficy, Dr. Rafael Jr. San Rafael FD
    • Marcucci, Robert, Chief San Rafael FD, retired
    • McLaren, Richard Evans, Chief San Anselmo FD
    • Massucco, Ken, Chief Marin County FD
    • Nelson, Ron, Lieutenant, Larkspur FD
    • Reilley, Charles R. (Jr.) Chief Marin County FD
    • Selby, Norman, "Kid McCoy" Fire Chief San Quentin
    • Wedemeyer, Arthur E. (Jr.), US Marine Corps, Larkspur FD
    • Wilson, Irwin "Willie" , Engineer Larkspur FD
  • Biographies
    • Corte Madera FD Biographies >
      • Childress, John Corte Madera FD Captain/Medic
      • Ferguson, Joseph Stanley - CMVFD Ltd., Artist, Cartoonist
      • Forster, Jack William, Corte Madera Volunteer FD Ltd.
      • Kelly, Harold - Assistant Chief, Corte Madera VFD Ltd.
      • Larson, Lee Assistant Fire Chief Corte Madera FD
      • Moreno, Anthony "Tony" Corte Madera VFD
      • Nelson, Franklin Lars - Chief Corte Madera VFD Ltd.
      • Nelson, William Corte Madera VFD
      • Ralston, Bud Corte Madera FD
      • Salarpi, Larry Corte Madera FD
      • Walker, James Corte Madera VFD
    • Kentfield FPD Biographies >
      • Kamp, Kenny - Chief Kentfield FPD
      • Mariani, Guido Kentfield FPD Asst. Chief
      • Mariani, Robert - Chief Kentfield FPD
      • Ruhland, Fred Kentfield FPD
    • Larkspur Fire Department Biographies >
      • Archer, Douglas - Deputy Chief Larkspur FD, retired, Historian
      • Bartram, George Larkspur FD Chief
      • Doherty, Dolph - Chief, Larkspur FD
      • Lellis, William - Chief, Larkspur FD retired, Photographer & Historian
      • Nelson, Rudolph "Rudy", Filmmaker
      • Raggio, John Fire Chief, Larkspur FD
      • Shurtz, Craig Larkspur FD Chief
      • Wedemeyer, Arthur Edward Sr., Filmmaker, Pilot, Mayor
    • Marin County FD Biographies >
      • Bloom, Louis - Chief, Marin County FD
      • De la Montanya, Lloyd - Chief, Marin County FD
      • Jennings, Greg , Senior Captain Marin County FD retired, Historian
      • Martin, Pete - Captain, Marin County FD, retired, Historian
      • Meuser, Brian Marin County FD
      • Nunes, Clarence Marin County FD
      • Rowan, Stan - Chief, Marin County FD, retired
      • Selfridge, James - Deputy Chief, Marin County FD, retired
    • Mill Valley FD Biographies >
      • Davidson, Jeff Mill Valley Chief
    • Novato Fire District Biographies >
      • Bacon, Harold A. "Tony", Captain, Novato FPD retired
      • Berthinier, James - Chief, Novato FPD, retired
      • Meston, Jeff, Chief Novato FPD, retired
      • Rentz, John - Chief, Novato FPD, retired
    • San Anselmo FD Biographies >
      • Beedle, Robert San Anselmo FD Chief
      • Cartwright, Charles San Anselmo FD
      • Marcucci, Marty Battalion Chief Ross Valley FPD, retired
      • Marcucci, Nello Fire Chief San Anselmo FD
      • Meagor, Linda Louise San Anselmo FD
      • Sousa, Frank Chief, San Anselmo FD
    • San Rafael Fire Biographies >
      • Castro, Walter San Rafael FD
      • Diego, John San Rafael FD
      • Daniels, Charles I., Jr. (Chuck)
      • Johansen, Clarence Fritz San Rafael FD Chief
      • Johansen, Martin San Rafael FD Chief
      • Martin, Bruce - San Rafael FD Chief
      • Mizroch, Dr. Stephen, M.D. - SR Fire Commissioner, Historian & Collector
      • Scheuer, Fred J. San Rafael FD Chief
      • Schneider, D.N. San Rafael FD Chief
      • Williams, John - Captain, San Rafael FD, retired, Historian
    • Sausalito FD Biographies >
      • Bogel, Steve - Chief, Sausalito FD
      • Bunker, Fred - Division Chief Sausalito FD, retired.
      • Pedersen, Swede Sausalito FD
      • Perry, Matts Sausalito FD
      • Poole, Gene Sausalito and San Rafael FD's
      • Quayle, Robert - Chief, Sausalito FD
    • Tiburon FPD Biographies >
      • Rappole Bliss, Rosemary - Chief, Tiburon FPD
      • Buscher, Franklin - Chief, Tiburon FPD
    • Barrows, Richard "Dick", Chief State OES
    • Drady, Harold "Spike" Nicasio VFD Chief
    • Gardner, Edwiin B. Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • Goodson, Carl - Battalion Chief, Santa Rosa FD, retired.
    • Hensley, William J. Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • Heynen, Carl Otto, Jr. Alto Richardson Bay FD
    • Kobseff, Nicolas 'Nick' Chief Nicasio VFD
    • Livingston, Dewey - West Marin Historian
    • McMurray, Bill Marin County Communications, MCSO
    • Mersereau, Laurence "Bunk" - Chief, Belvedere FD
    • Rogers, Art - Photographer
    • Souza, Robert - Chief, Tamalpais FPD
    • White, Dan - Ambulance Company Owner, Businessman & Videographer
  • Current Fire Service Associations
    • California Fire Chiefs Association
    • California State Firefighters Association
    • Retired Fire Service Groups
    • Fire Safe Marin
    • Fire Training Officers Section MCFCA
    • Fire Prevention Officers Section MCFCA >
      • Fire Investigation Team
    • International Association of Fire Chiefs
    • Marin County Fire Chiefs Association >
      • 2017 Installation Dinner
      • 2018 Installation Dinner Ignacio
      • Perpetual Leadership Award Recipients
    • Marin Office of Emergency Services
    • Northern California Fire Prevention Officers, CFCA
    • Northern California Fire Training Officers, CFCA
    • Operation Chiefs Section MCFCA
    • Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association
  • Former Fire Service Associations
    • Larkspur FD Ladies Auxiliary
    • Lucas Valley Volunteer Fire Association
    • Marin County Association of Fire Departments
    • Marin County Association of FD's Ladies Auxiliary
    • Marin Sonoma Fire Training Officers Association
    • Pacific Coast Association of Fire Chiefs
    • Redwood Empire Tri-County Fireman's Association
    • Redwood Fire and Protective Association
    • Stockmens Protective Association
    • Tamalpais Forestry Association
  • Competitions, Sports, and Events
    • Baseball & Softball Teams
    • Chili Cookoffs
    • Football Team
    • Hose Cart Racing
    • Larkspur Fire Muster 1978-1984
    • Oregon & Nevada Musters
    • California Fire Musters
    • Water Fights
    • 4th of July Fireworks Displays
  • National Fire Heritage Center
  • Emergency Medical Services
    • Annual EMS Survivors Dinner
  • The Hazardous Materials Team
  • College Fire Science and Technology Programs
    • Santa Rosa Junior College
    • College of Marin
  • Residential "Sleeper" Programs at FD's
    • Corte Madera FD Sleeper Program
    • Kentfield FPD Sleeper Program
    • Ross Fire Department Sleeper Program
    • Tiburon Fire Protection District Sleeper Program
  • History of California State Fire Training
  • Marin County Fire Training
  • Fire Water Systems
  • Communications Systems, Radios, MERA
  • Urban Search & Rescue Team (USAR)
  • Tamalpais Fire Crew
  • Sanborn Fire Maps
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • National Fire History, Related
    • The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders, Origin
  • Fire Apparatus & Equipment
    • C.A.M. Manufacturing & Louis P. Soldavini
    • The Transition to Motorized Apparatus
    • Historical List of Apparatus For Marin County
    • 1850 Austrian Hand Pumper, Larkspur FD
    • 1916 Ford Model T Chemical Engine Larkspur
    • 1922 Stutz Fire Pumper San Rafael
    • 1923 American La France Pumper, Mill Valley FD
    • 1923 Ford Model T, Novato FD
    • 1927 American La France Pumper, Kentfield
    • 1929 Seagrave Pumper, Fairfax FD