The first fire department in Sarnia was organized in the mid-1850s but it was poorly supported. A volunteer operation, Sarnia's first firefighters did not have proper equipment until town council purchased a hand drawn fire engine in 1859. Even with the new equipment, criticisms arose when the fire department did not arrive on scene in a timely manner. To combat the tardiness, financial incentives were offered to the first firefighters arriving on scene. Competing fire companies developed in Sarnia, and the first fire company to arrive at the scene of a fire was the only company to get paid! The Beaver Hose Company was one of these competing fire companies, and they were known for their fast responses.
On July 6, 1912, the fire department became an official town department, and service was standardized in Sarnia. Horses would continue to draw fire engines until the first trucks were introduced in the 1920s. More details about the history of the Sarnia Fire Department can be found on the Sarnia Historical Society's website.
Some parts of Lambton County faced special threats due to oil activities. When fires occurred during the great oil boom in Oil Springs in the 1860s, witnesses reported that flames raged on the waters of the Black Creek, where overflow product had trickled from the oil fields. Petrolia also had to contend with some dicey situations as local refineries caught flame.
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