Houston Fire Department

City of Houston Fire Department (HFD) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the fourth largest city in the United States. HFD is responsible for preserving life and property for a population of more than 2 million in an area totaling . The department is the largest fire department (by number of personnel) in the state of Texas.

The administrative offices of HFD are located on the 17th floor of 500 Jefferson Street (a part of the Cullen Center) in Downtown Houston. They were previously located at the City of Houston Fire Department Logistical Center & Maintenance Depot.

The Houston Fire Department got its start in 1838 with one station known as ''Protection Company No. 1''. By 1859, the volunteer department had grown to three stations. After 57 years of service, Houston converted the department over to all paid members.

Notable Incidents

Southwest Inn Fire

On May 31, 2013, the ''Southwest Inn fire'' broke out in an Indian restaurant in Southwest Houston before spreading to an adjoining hotel. The fire claimed the biggest casualty loss for the Houston Fire Department since its inception. Four firefighters were killed and 13 others were injured while fighting the five-alarm fire at the Southwest Inn. "It was the department's worst loss of life ever." "Iron" Bill Dowling, who lost his legs and damaged his brain in the fire, died in Colorado on March 7, 2017, after a short hospitalization for pneumonia and cellulitis, attributed to his injuries.

2016 Houston Fire

After the spreading of a backyard fire in Spring Branch, Houston, Texas, a packaging warehouse burned down during a four-alarm fire which included exploding canisters of hazardous material. Nearly 200 firefighters were dispatched to the site over several hours. As of May 2016, the initial cause of the fire remains unknown.

1979 Woodway Square Apartment Fire

Late in the afternoon of July 31, 1979, a call came in for an apartment fire at the Woodway Square Apartments in Houston. First units arriving immediately started calling for help as the high winds were fanning flames across the wood shingle roofs. Flames were jumping building to building and embers were entering the neighborhoods igniting roofs.

In all 7 alarms were called for which included equipment backed into Houston Fire stations from Cy-Fair, Little York and Northwest Volunteer Fire Departments.

Hundreds lost everything they owned. At one point it was discussed using explosives to demolish one building to make a fire break. As firefighters worked on controlling the apartment fire, booster trucks were tasked with driving through the neighborhoods extinguishing spot fires on roofs of homes.

On the day of the fire, the Houston Fire Department requested the city to ban wood shingles. They refused but the day after the fire they decided to ban them. In that day and age, most new homes had wood shingles and they were required by homeowners associations

Stations and Apparatus

Below is a listing of all Houston Fire Department fire stations and their assigned apparatus.

In 2018 there was a post-Hurricane Harvey plan to replace fire station 104 for $11 million.

Gallery

File:Houston Fire Station Nr. 3.jpg, Houston Fire Station Nr. 3 from the 1800s. It's on the National Register of Historic Places
File:Houston Fire Station No. 7.jpg, Houston Fire Station No. 7 was built in 1898. Today it's the Houston Fire Museum & on the National Register of Historic Places
File:StationOne1932 (edit).jpg, Group photo of firefighters from Station 1–1932
File:600JeffersonHoustonTX.JPG, Continental Center II (1801 Smith) of the Cullen Center houses the HFD administrative offices
Image:HoustonFireDepartmentTXHQ.JPG, City of Houston Fire Department Logistical Center & Maintenance Depot
File:HoustonFireDepartmentMemorial.JPG, HFD Firefighters' Memorial in northern Houston
Image:HoustonFireStation3RiverOaks.JPG, Fire Station 3
Image:HoustonFireDepartmentStation7.JPG, Fire Station 7
Image:FireStation8HoustonTX.JPG, Fire Station 8
Image:HoustonFDStation16Montrose.JPG, Fire Station 16
Image:HFD18.JPG, Fire Station 18
Image:FireStation25HoustonTX.JPG, Fire Station 25
Image:HFDFirestation28.JPG, Fire Station 28 at 3000 Chimney Rock
Image:HoustonFireStation33.JPG, Fire Station 33
File:HoustonFireStation37.JPG, Braeswood Place

References

External links

Houston Fire Department

Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association

Houston Fire Fighters Calendar

Houston Fire Museum

Houston Fire Fire Fighter Memorial Web Site

Houston Fire Station Google Map

Houston Firefighters' Bagpipe & Drummer Corps

Houston Fire Station 68

{{United States fire departments

Fire
Fire departments in Texas