Horse drawn forest fire apparatus
From powering trucks to portable pumps, the internal combustion engine was one the major technological innovations that improved forest fire fighting, allowing firefighters to respond quickly over long distances to deliver large volumes of water.
Imagine trying to keep a fire small when depending on horses to transport your equipment, and without many of the improved tools of today!
This is a New Jersey fire warden from 1911 (from the book New Jersey Forest Fire Service) equipped with shovels, milk cans (used to carry water), garden watering cans, and some sort of larger tank.
New Jersey Fire Warden Victor Bush, 1911
From Britt Crosby’s CapeCodFD.com site we have an early fire wagon in Massachusetts:
Men filling soda acid extinguishers, Southeastern Massachusetts
Soda acid extinguishers required a recharge cartridge of sulfuric acid and sodium bicarbonate; inverting the extinguisher would produce carbond dioxide which would pressurize the extinguisher. Each extinguisher held 2-1/2 to 3 gallons of water and depending on the fire intensity, terrain, and skill of the firefighter could knock down 50′ to 200′ of surface fire.
The Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control built specialized wagons to use instead of the adapted farm wagons above that were discussed in the 1918 book, “Forestry in New England.” While in use throughout the eastern part of the state they were most common in the southeastern section.
A two horse model, like the one below, carried 14 soda acid extinguishers, 14 water cans and sufficient to refill 2 extinguishers each, shovels, rakes, mattocks, and chemical charges, along with 8 men.
Massachusetts two horse forest fire wagon
The one horse model below was carried a smaller amount of equipment and only four men. Basic apparatus economics held true even back then. A one horse wagon cost $300, while the two horse wagon carrying twice the equipment and manpower only raised the price to $450.
Massachusetts one horse forest fire wagon
Another early option to either watering cans or soda acid extinguishers was the one and two man bucket pumps. A one man pump, like the one below, carried four gallons of water and was considered adequate to knock down 50′ to 150′ of fire. It was considered a little less efficient, but considerably cheaper to purchase and recharge, then a soda acid extinguisher.
One man pump
A two man pump carried eight gallons and took two men to carry.
