| legeros.com > History > North Carolina Firefighting Timeline |
Last updated November 18, 2005
This page is a list of milestones of early fire protection North Carolina, pre-1930.
Disclaimers: Fires and emergency incidents are not included. Fire company may mean fire department and vice versa. Bucket brigades are included. Contact Mike Legeros to contribute or correct information.
Click a column heading to sort.
| Year | County | City | Milestone |
| 1773 | Craven | New Bern | Fire company creation and fire equipment purchase authorized by colony legislature in 1773. Source: http://newbernfire.tripod.com/Our%20History.htm |
| 1785 | Forsyth | Salem | First fire engines delivered in 1785, hand pumps. First fire engines in North Carolina. Steam engine in 1884. |
| 1791 | Beaufort | Washington | First fire company organized, bucket brigade. Hand pumps in 1881. Steam engine in 1898. Motor apparatus in 1913. Source: FD site. |
| 1791 | Cumberland | Fayetteville | Fire department chartered in 1791. Source: FD site. |
| 1817 | Rowan | Salisbury | First fire engine purchased in 1817, hand pump and hose. First organized fire company in 1855. First formal fire department in 1877. Steam engine in 1908. Motor hose wagon in 1912. Source: FD site. |
| 1819 | Wake | Raleigh | First fire company organized in 1819 after first fire engine delivered, hand pump. Steam engine in 1870. Hose wagons in 1887. Motor apparatus in 1913. Source: http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/wake/history/ |
| 1831 | Cumberland | Fayetteville | First fire engines purchased in 1831 after major fire that year. Hand pumps with hoses. Source: FD site. |
| 1845 | Craven | New Bern | First fire company chartered in 1845, Atlantic fire company. First chartered fire company in North Carolina. Source: http://newbernfire.tripod.com/Our%20History.htm |
| 1845 | Mecklenburg | Charlotte | First fire engine by 1845, hand pump. Volunteers operating apparatus called Hornet Fire Company. Motor apparatus in 1912. Steam engine by 1875. Source: CFD yearbook. |
| 1846 | New Hanover | Wilmington | First fire company formed in 1846, chartered in 1867. Steam engine in 1868. Motor apparatus in 1912. Source: FD yearbook. |
| 1849 | Guilford | Greensboro | First fire company formed after first fire engine delivered, hand pump. Chemical wagon in 1872. Steam engine in 1886. Motor apparatus in 1913. Source: GFD yearbook. |
| 1865 | Craven | New Bern | First steam engine fire company formed. First steam engine in state? Source: http://newbernfire.tripod.com/Our%20History.htm |
| 1870 | Granville | Oxford | First fire company formed in 1870s, bucket and ladder brigade. First official fire department created in 1905. Horse and water wagon in 1906. Motor apparatus in 1915. Source: Daily Dispatch, August 17 and 21, 2005. |
| 1872 | Durham | Durham | First fire company organized in 1872 when city purchased two 20-foot ladders and a few citizens became volunteers. Steam engine in 1903. Motor apparatus in 1912. Source: http://www.angelfire.com/nc3/dfd/history.html |
| 1873 | Pasquotank | Elizabeth City | First fire company formed in 1873, the Albemarle Fire Company. Source: Raleigh Times, July 15, 1916 |
| 1876 | Forsyth | Winston | Fire department formed in 1876. Steam engine in 1882. Source: FD yearbook. |
| 1876 | Iredell | Statesville | First fire company formed in 1876, hook and ladder company. Steam engine in 1881. Hose wagons in 1899. Motor apparatus in 1913. Source: FD site. |
| 1877 | Caldwell | Lenoir | First fire company formed on April 19, 1877, bucket brigade with 45 members. Hand pump and hose reel in 1895. Water wagon in 1905. Horse and hose wagon in 1908. Motor chemical and hose wagon in 1918. Motor pumper in 1924. Source: FD site. |
| 1880 | Wilson | Wilson | Fire department organized in 1880, bucket brigade. Steam engine in 1887. Hydrants in 1892. Motor apparatus in 1913. Source: FD site. |
| 1885 | Vance | Henderson | First fire apparatus in 1882, two hand pumps. Source: FD site. |
| 1886 | Catawba | Newton | First fire company formed in 1886. Fire department becomes official in 1907. First paid staff in 1926. Source: FD site. |
| 1887 | Cabarrus | Concord | First fire companies formed in 1887, Hose and Reel Company (white) and Hook and Ladder Company (black). Fire department formed December 21, 1900. Source: FD site. |
| 1887 | Johnston | Benson | Fire department formed in 1887. Source: FD site. |
| 1887 | Mecklenburg | Charlotte | Fully-paid fire department formed in 1887. Source: FD yearbook. |
| 1887 | Moore | Southern Pines | Fire department chartered in 1887. Source: FD site. |
| 1888 | N/A | N/A | North Carolina State Fireman's Association organized. |
| 1891 | N/A | N/A | North Carolina Colored Volunteer Fireman's Association chartered in 1891. Source: CFD yearbook. |
| 1891 | Edgecombe | Tarboro | Hydrants by 1891. Fire department formed by 1896. Source: Sanborn Maps |
| 1891 | Wayne | Goldsboro | Fire department formed by 1891, with steam engine, chemical engine, and hose carts. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1893 | Carteret | Morehead City | Fire equipment by 1893, chemical engine. Source: Sanborn Maps. Fire department formed in 1906. Source: FD site. |
| 1894 | Nash | Rocky Mount | First fire company formed in 1894. First fire engine in 1895. Steam engine in 1896. Motor apparatus in 1914. Source: FD yearbook. |
| 1895 | Lenoir | Kinston | First fire company formed in 1895. Steam engine same year. Motor apparatus in 1918. |
| 1896 | Chatham | Siler City | First fire company formed in 1896, hook and ladder company. Hand hose reel in 1925. Source: FD site. |
| 1896 | Pitt | Greenville | Fire department formed by 1896, with hand pump and hose reel. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1897 | New Hanover | Wilmington | Fully-paid fire department organized in 1897. Source: Raleigh Times, July 15, 1916 |
| 1898 | Carteret | Beaufort | Fire department organized by 1898. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1898 | Franklin | Louisburg | Fire equipment includes hook and ladder truck with chemical extinguishers by 1898. Source: Sanborn Maps. Motor apparatus in 1921. Source: FD document. |
| 1898 | Roberson | Lumberton | First fire company formed after installation of water system after 1898. Source: Sanborn Maps. Motor apparatus in 1912. Source: FD site. |
| 1899 | Jackson | Sylvia | First fire company formed in 1899, bucket brigade. Source: FD site. |
| 1900 | Gaston | Gastonia | First fire company formed in 1900. Volunteers used hand-drawn hose reel. First horse and hose wagon in 1905. Source: FD site. |
| 1900 | Person | Roxboro | Fire department formed by 1900, hose carts. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1901 | Alamance | Burlington | Fire department formed in 1901. Source: FD site. |
| 1901 | N/A | N/A | North Carolina insurance law establishes all city and incorporate town fire chiefs as state officers. |
| 1901 | Perquimans | Hertford | Fire department formed in 1901. Source: FD site. |
| 1902 | Guilford | High Point | Fire department formed by 1902, hose carts. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1904 | Chowan | Edenton | Fire department formed by 1904, bucket and ladder truck. Hose reels by 1905. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1904 | Surry | Mount Airy | Fire department organized on February 8, 1904. First FD in Surry county. Source: FD site. |
| 1905 | N/A | N/A | North Carolina Building Code established. |
| 1905 | Burke | Morganton | Fire department formed by 1905, hose carts. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1905 | Cleveland | Shelby | Fire equipment by 1905, hook and ladder truck and chemical extinguishers. Fire department formed by 1909. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1905 | Davidson | Lexington | First fire companies formed, bucket brigade until two hand hose reel companies formed the same year. Horses and horse wagons in 1912. Motor pumper in 1916. Source: FD site. |
| 1906 | Alamance | Graham | Fire department formed in 1916, consisting of Graham Hose Company No. 1 with 20 volunteers. Source: Raleigh Times, July 15, 1916 |
| 1906 | Buncombe | Biltmore | Fire department formed in 1906. Source: Raleigh Times, July 15, 1916 |
| 1906 | Catawba | Hickory | Fire department formed in 1906. Source: Raleigh Times, July 15, 1916 |
| 1906 | Harnett | Dunn | Fire department formed with three volunteer companies. Source: Raleigh Times, July 15, 1916 |
| 1907 | New Hanover | Wilmington | First fire boat, gas-powered boat with steam boiler and pump. First gas-propelled fire boat in United States? Source: FD yearbook. |
| 1907 | Sampson | Clinton | First fire engine purchased in 1907. Hose wagon. First motor apparatus in 1923. |
| 1908 | Cleveland | Kings Mountain | First fire equipment purchased in 1908, hand hose reels. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1908 | Davidson | Thomasville | Fire department formed by 1908, hand engine. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1908 | Johnston | Smithfield | Fire department formed by 1908, hand engine and hose cart. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1908 | Lee | Sanford | Fire department formed by 1908, horse hose cart. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1908 | McDowell | Marion | Fire department formed by 1908, hose reels. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1909 | Durham | Durham | Fully-paid fire department created in 1909. Source: http://www.angelfire.com/nc3/dfd/history.html |
| 1909 | Rockingham | Madison | Fire department formed in 1909. Source: FD site. |
| 1910 | Wilkes | North Wilkesboro | Fire department formed by 1910, hand hose reels. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1911 | Orange | Chapel Hill | Fire department formed by 1911, hand hose reels. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1911 | Randolph | Asheboro | Fire department formed in 1911 as Central Hose Company and using hand-drawn carts. Motor hose wagon purchased in 1920. Motor pumper purchased in 1923. Source: FD site. |
| 1912 | Wake | Raleigh | Fully-paid fire department formed in 1912. |
| 1913 | Forsyth | Winston-Salem | Fire department formed in 1913 upon merger of two towns. Motor apparatus in 1913. |
| 1913 | Stanly | Albemarle | Fire department formed by 1913, hose wagon and carts. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1914 | Surry | Elkin | Fire department formed in 1914. Source: FD site. |
| 1915 | Pitt | Farmville | Fire department formed in 1915. Source: Raleigh Times, July 15, 1916 |
| 1916 | Rutherford | Rutherfordton | Fire department formed by 1916, hose reels. Source: Sanborn Maps. |
| 1919 | Buncombe | Black Mountain | Fire department formed in 1919. Source: FD site. |
| 1920 | Franklin | Franklinton | Fire department formed 1920. Source: FD site. |
| 1920 | Wake | Zebulon | Fire department formed 1920. Source: http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/wake/history/ |
| 1921 | Wake | Wake Forest | Fire department formed 1921. Source: http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/wake/history/ |
| 1922 | Harnett | Lillington | Fire department formed in 1922. Source: FD site. |
| 1922 | Wake | Cary | Fire department formed in 1922. Source: http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/wake/history/ |
| 1923 | Forsyth | Winston-Salem | Fully-paid fire department created. Source: FD yearbook. |
| 1926 | Guilford | Greensboro | Fully-paid fire department formed on June 1, 1926. Source: FD yearbook. |
| 1926 | Mecklenburg | Huntersville | Fire department formed 1926. Source: FD site. |
| 1926 | Watauga | Blowing Rock | Fire department formed in 1926. Source: FD site. |
| 1927 | New Hanover | Wilmington | First drill tower constructed. First dedicated drill tower in North Carolina? Source: FD yearbook. |
| 1927 | Orange | Carrboro | Fire department formed in 1927. Source: News & Observer, April 14, 1954 |
| 1927 | Wake | Apex | Fire department formed in 1927. Source: http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/wake/history/ |
| 1928 | Dare | Manteo | Fire department formed in 1928. Source: http://www.rivfd.org/ |
Copyright 2025 by Michael J. Legeros