When the communities of San Pedro
and Wilmington were annexed to Los Angeles August 28, 1909,
the City inherited a minimum of land-based fire protection and 8
miles of water front fire hazards with no fire boat
protection. The City immediately contracted for the services
of two privately owned fire fighting tugs, the "Warrior"
and the "Falcon," from the Wilmington
Transportation Company on a monthly rental basis. No firemen
were assigned regularly to these two vessels, but fire fighters
from land-based stations went to work aboard them at the scenes of
fires. This contract arrangement was used until the "Falcon's"
services were discontinued in 1915, and the "Warrior's"
services dropped in 1917.
Los Angeles leased these steam and
sail equipped tugs, the Warrior and the Falcon, shortly after the
city annexed San Pedro and Wilmington August 28, 1909, and the
fire department assumed waterfront protection responsibilities.
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TROUBLES PILE
UP RAPIDLY
AT SAN PEDRO FIRE
Troubles piled up rapidly for firemen at San Pedro yesterday
afternoon, when fire was discovered by a watchman in the shaving
bin of the mill of the San Pedro Lumber Company. For a time
the entire plant was threatened. Here is what happened:
A low bridge compelled the harbor fire company
to make a long detour to reach the scene.
Then the water pressure was so poor that the
stream scarcely reached the blaze.
The fire tug Warrior arrived, stretched a line
of hose across the railroad and just got the water flowing when a
switch engine came along and cut the hose.
Then the Southern Pacific tank car equipment
got to work, but in a few minutes the tank was drained.
A hose was stretched to the Kerchkoff-Cuzner
mill on Smith Island, but something went wrong with the pump on
the fire engine.
Finally the water pressure, fire tug, S.P. tank
equipment and fire engine all "came back" and the fire
was soon subdued. It caused damage estimated at $2500 to the
brick and corrugated iron building, to which it was confined.
Newspaper Article,
May 1, 1916
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