Raleigh and Wake County Firefighting, Volume II

By Michael J. Legeros

ISBN 0738516201 - Arcadia Publishing - 2004
Softcover - 128 pages - 6.5 x 9.25 inches - 235 black-and-white photographs

Annotations  |  Author  |  Clippings  |  Corrections  |  Events  |  Flyer (PDF)  |  Index (PDF)  |  Sources  |  Volume 1

Raleigh and Wake County Firefighting by Michael J. Legeros - About the Author

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Annotations

Page 9
Downtown Raleigh, August 24, 1941.
Notice the holes in the sidewalk.  Raleigh's first parking meters were being installed at this time.

Page 12
K&W Motor Company, March 4, 1952.

In addition to the seven fire companies, recalled off-duty firefighters also battled the blaze.

Page 13
The Apex Fire Department's rural truck is pictured pumping at a tenant home on the farm of John H. Luther on Route 2.

The fire department was the first in Wake County to offer rural service, beginning in 1952.

Page 17
Hayes Barton Dry Cleaners, July 23, 1962.

The dry-cleaning established burned down to the ground on December 2, 1988.  It was not rebuilt.

Page 18
Camp Polk, November 14, 1963.
After moving to a new facility in Butner in 1998, the youth detention center was abandoned that year.  It was demolished in 2003.

Page 19
State Fair, September 29 1965.
Other fires at the Fair around that time included a cattle barn on October 10, 1958, three rows of display booths on September 22, 1962, and a portable restaurant on October 13, 1964.

Page 20
Forest Theater, July 1, 1966.

Firefighters from Rolesville, New Hope, Youngsville, Bay Leaf, Stony Hill, and Raleigh assisted the Wake Forest firemen.

Page 26
Powered by twin diesel engines, the 460-horsepower Walter CB3000 carried 3,000 gallons of water and 500 gallons of foam.

The crash truck was rebuilt by Crash Rescue Equipment Service in 1990 and retired in 2000.

Page 28
Plantation Inn, October 23, 1975.

Five years later, ten departments battled an evening blaze in the upper-floors of the inn.  Damage was estimated at $300,000.

Page 29
House Fire, January 17, 1977.

Wake Forest Fire Department 2 is pictured with their 1951 Chevrolet / American pumper with front-mounted Barton pump.  The fire truck was first delivered to WFFD 1 in 1953.

Page 30
Cook Out, March 23, 1977.

Recalls a responding off-duty firefighter, the glow was visible as far away as Tryon Road.

Page 33
Laundromat, August 8, 1981
Note the Mack / American LaFrance aerial ladder in the photograph.  As shown on page 57, the tractor underwent later changes that included repainting, the adding of a rear covered area, and removal of the twin electronic sirens on the roof.

Page 35
Volunteers from the Six Forks Fire Department assisted with refilling air tanks as more than 100 tanks were depleted by the end of the evening.
The Raleigh Fire Department placed its first mobile air refilling unit in service in 1988.

Page 36
Flames gutted the pinewood and metal building that was filled with about $1 million in merchandise.

That's a lot of fleas.

Page 39
Raleigh firemen train with their newest pumper at Boone's Pond off Lake Boone Trail.
A subdivision is presently located on the site of Boone's Pond, on the southwest corner of the intersection of Lake Boone Trail and Cambridge Road.

Page 41
Knightdale Fire Truck.
The 1942 GMC was later sold to the Bear Pond Fire Department in Vance County.

Page 41
It was one of two fire trucks stationed at the former Army air base.
A joint project of Wake and Durham counties and the cities of Raleigh and Durham, the airport was under construction when it was taken over by the federal government on June 30, 1942. Designated Raleigh-Durham Army Air Field in January 1943, it became operational on May 1, 1942.  The base, with barracks and three runways, served as an Army Air Corps training facility until January 1, 1948.

Page 51
Service Truck.

The innovative design also featured lights on the compartment doors, a feature that was years ahead of its time.

Page 52
Rescue Squad.

The squads were replaced in 1991 with a pair of Chevrolet/Frontline rescue units.  The 1974 Chevrolet remained a reserve unit; the 1975 Chevrolet was disposed to the Police Department.

Page 55
This Walter B-1500 airport crash truck, purchased new in 1971, carried 1500 gallons of water and 180 gallons of foam.
The crash truck was rebuilt by Crash Rescue Equipment Service in 1990 and retired in 2000.

Page 56
This 1975 Mack CF pumper was one of 16 delivered to the Raleigh Fire Department during the 1970s and 1980s.
Several of these Mack CF pumpers are still in service as reserve units.

Page 57
This 1986 Dodge step van transported the equipment of the Cary Fire Department's hazardous material team.

The Raleigh Fire Department's haz-mat team also utilized a step van, a 1977 Chevrolet.

Page 60
Raleigh firefighter Boaz "Bozo" Edwards ducks while steering the rear of the old American LaFrance aerial ladder.

The height of the aerial ladder's trailer was due to the single-stacking of the ground ladders.  Later apparatus utilized double-stacking, which greatly reduced the overall height.

Page 62
New Hope Fire Station, April 1958.

Pictured is the fire department's 1956 GMC pumper.

Page 65
Doors are raised and within 18 seconds from the first ring of the telephone, Engine 1, Engine 9, and Truck 1 are rolling onto Dawson Street.
Engine 9 is pictured using a reserve pumper, a 1936 American LaFrance.

Page 70
Falls Fire Station.

Nearly visible in the far left bay is a 1956 Ford / American pumper with front-mounted Barton pump originally owned by the Six Forks Road Fire Department.

Page 72
Built on land loaned by Bill Ray, the three-bay building was expanded in 1981 to include a fourth bay and a meeting room.

The facility was replaced in May 2004 by an eight-bay fire and EMS station located on an adjoining lot.

Created: 02MAY04. Corrected: 15SEP09.