Historical Events

| 1899-1909 | 1910 – 1919 | 1920 – 1929 | 1930 – 1939 | 1940 – 1949 | 1950 – 1959 | 1960 – 1969 |
| 1970 – 1979 | 1980 – 1989 | 1990 – 1999 | 2000 – Present |

Oxnard Fire Department had its humble beginnings on February 21st, 1899. The department was established under the guidance of the following:

• President – J. A. Whitmore
• Vice President – Fred Baruch
• Secretary – J. B. Cryer
• Treasurer – Bank of Oxnard
• Foreman – Louis Brenneis
• Assistant – Ed. Abplanalp

During this year the budget for the department was $690.36. These funds were received from dues – $ 62.25, dances – $228.91, and donations – $399.20. Expenditures included an engine house – $75.00, hose and hosecart – $428.50 and paying a watchman a yearly salary of $14.00. During this first year the Oxnard Volunteer Fire Company protected approximately 1,000 citizens, of a soon to be incorporated Oxnard, with hand-drawn and horse-drawn apparatus. The first station to house these carts was located at the corner of Fifth and “B” Streets.

Over the last century the Oxnard Fire Department has grown along with the City. The President is now the Chief, the Department went from volunteer to fully paid personnel, and the number of fire houses has increased from one to eight. Oxnard Fire Department is currently under the guidance of the following:

Interim Fire Chief – Alex Hamilton
Assistant Chief – John Colamarino
Administrative Assistant – Francine Gutierrez
Administrative Secretary –Janeth Gonzalez
Administrative Secretary – Sarabeth Kelly
Battalion Chief (Fire Marshal) – Steve McNaughten
Battalion Chief (Training) – Karsten Guthrie
Battalion Chief (Fire Suppression) – Steven Reyes
Battalion Chief (Fire Suppression) – Nathan La Russo

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1899-1909

Presidents / Chiefs

• 1899 – President J.A. Whitmore
• 1900 – President L. Brenneis
• 1904 – Chief C. Rowe
• 1907 – Chief F. Duckham

Apparatus Purchased

• 1900 – Hose Cart
• 1900 – Hook & Ladder Wagon
• 1901 – Hose Cart
• 1908 – Seagrave Horse Drawn Chemical Hose Wagon

Events

1899 – Volunteer Fire Department established with a total budget of $690.36, which included purchasing first engine house, hose, and hose cart.

1900 – Second Fire Department in China Alley estabilished by Chinese immigrants and Chinese-American families to protect China Alley

1903 – City incorporated

1905 – Yokohama restraurant burned to the ground in “Paradise Alley” in Oxnard’s Chinatown.

1908 – Citizens were told to call 200 from their phone to have the fire department respond to a fire

1909 – New chemical engine received

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1910-1919

Presidents/Chiefs

• 1907 – Chief F. Duckham

Apparatus

• 1916 – Motorized Seagrave Engine 1 (Old Maude)

Events

1910 – City boundaries north; 4th St., South; 6th St., East; Saviers Rd., West; Alley Between C & D St.
Population 2,555

1911 – City alloted Fire Department $30 a month. The pay schedule is as follows:

• Chief – $6
• Secretary – $4
• 10 Firemen with the department the longest – $2

1911 – Allotment increased to $40

• Asst. Chief – $4
• + $2 firemen – $2
• S.P Milling Co. Fire lasted 6 hours burning the building down.

1917 – Seagrave pumper built, first motorized apparatus for the City of Oxnard.

1919 – P. Staples Planing mill Fire Burned for 2.5 hours causing $10,000 in damages.

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1920-1929

Events

1920 – Population 4,417
416 – 418 – 420 “B” St. Southern Countries Gas Co., J. Dufenback Tailor, Wells Fargo Express, Burned to a total loss, 6 people were seriously injured.

1922 – 128 5th St. fire burned for 1.5 hours causing $7,000 in damages.
410 “A” St. Oxnard Vulcanizing Co. fire caused over $5,500 in damages.
Oxnard Opera House burns causing $1,600 in damages and serverely damaging the building.

1923 – New station built at 5th & B St.
2nd St. The Old Grammar School totally destroyed. The Chinese fire company assisted and fire caused over $20,000 in damages.

1926 – Bruise Mfg. Co. burned twice during two months causing over $9000 in damages.

1927 – 404 B St. Otey Restaurant caused $2,500 in damages.

1929 – 245 C St. John Steinmiller residence caused over $2,500 in damages.
Oxnard Fire and Ventura County Fire set up first mutual aid agreement.

1927 – 1929 $10,344 fire loss.

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1930-1939

Presidents/Chiefs

• 1939 – Chief P. Fairbanks

Events

1930 – Population 6,285

1931 – City approved funding for second full time person hired for fire department by Chief Fred Duckman, Cost of a relief fireman is $25 per month.

1932 – Meta St., La Victoria Store fire caused $1,300 in damages.

1933Wooley Rd. Joe Miller Residence burned causing over $2,200 in damages.

1930 – 1933 – $9,344 in total fire loss

1934 – 28 fire alarms were answered total fire damage cost $1,350

1938 – People’s lumber Co. burned down causing $6,700 in damages.

1939 – ACS Co. Warehouse caught fire burning 21,775 bags of pulp, the fire lasted over seven hours and caused over $1,750 in damages.

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1940-1949

Presidents/Chiefs

• 1942 – Chief A. Carpenter
• 1949 – Chief Sullivan (Acting)
• 1949 – Chief Witt

Apparatus

• 1945 – GMC Jimmy (Puddle Jumper)
• 1946 – Seagrave

Events

1940 – Population 8,519

1943 – Department Monthly Pay Schedule
Chief – $18
Asst. Chief – $13.50
Secretary – $13.50
10 firemen with most seniority – $8.10

1944 – City population 18,379

1945 – Second firehouse in Colonia district recorded staffed with 2 firefighters (1945 GMC Jimmy)

1946 – Fire Department becomes combination with the permanent staffing of 10 full-time firefighters.

1947 – Chinese Fire Company is dismantled

1949 – Total 14 total full-time fire personnel
124 Enterprise, Pearl Laundry Fire causes $150,000 in damages.

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1950-1959

Apparatus

• 1950 – Mack
• 1954 – GMC (Pig) OES
• 1954 – International (Tweety)

Events

1950 – Fire Prevention Activities recorded all 3510 houses inspected, Population 21,567
MSA Filter Canisters used
Station 1 moved from 5th and B to 206 W. 2nd St. Dec valuated at $55,266.
American Crystal Sugar Factory, fire causes $270,000 in damages of product but building is saved.

1951 – 17 members paid 18 volunteers
Station 1 at 206 W. 2nd St.
Station 2 at 520 E. 1st St.
Three vehicles
1000 Class A triple pumper (Mack)
500 Class A triple pumper (Seagrave)
1 Chief car
3rd & Hayes, Packing Plant Warehouse fire, burns for 6 hours causing over $400,000 in damages and burning the warehouse to the ground.

1954 – Third station built at 150 hill St. Valuated at $30,960
26 members fully paid
5,766 homes inspected
54 Volunteers dibanded.
Stokley’s Warehouse burned over 11 hours causing over $110,000 damages and burning the warehouse to the ground.

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1960-1969

Presidents/Chiefs

• 1968 – Chief Gustafson

Apparatus

• 1963 – Van Pelt Snorkel
• 1967 – Van Pelt (Chris-Craft)

Events

1960 – Population 40,265

1962 – 40 sworn members
3 stations
7 vehicles
2 1250 Class B trip comb pumpers
1 1000 class A trip comb pumper
1 750 Class A trip comb pumper
1 750 A trip comb pumper
1 3/4 ton pickup
1 chief car
1 station wagon BC squad car

1963 – First support company put in service 1917.
Staffed by Harris on A shift and Allgeier on B shift.

1964 – Oxnard fire has 47 sworn members.

1965 – Station 2 moved from 520 E. 1St. to 531 E. Pleasant Rd.

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1970-1979

Apparatus

• 1973 – Seagrave 100 aerial
• 1974 – GMC
• 1974 – Van Pelt
• 1978 – La France
• 1977 – Van Pelt
• 1979 – Van Pelt

Events

1970 – 8 Scott SCBA purchased
Population 89,700

1971 – Oxnard fire has 62 sworn members

1972 – Station 4 built at 230 W. Vineyard Ave. and occupied by Oxnard and Ventura County.

1974 – Station 5 built at 1450 Colonia Rd.
First set of “Jaws of Life” are put into service on Squad 1 (GMC)

1978 – Station 6 built at 2601 Peninsula Rd.
115 Esplande Dr. May Co. fire damages mall causes $25,000,000 in damages.

1979 – 1950 Mack donated to sister city Ocotlan

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1980-1989

Presidents/Chiefs

• 1982 – Chief Bogardus
• 1983 – Chief Christensen (Acting)
• 1988 – Chief Owens
• 1989 – Chief Smith

Apparatus

• 1980 – Grumman (Bread Box)
• 1982 – Mack
• 1982 – Ford 250
• 1983 – Mack
• 1984 – Mack
• 1984 – Mack 85′ Aerial
• 1987 – GMC
• 1989 – Ford F250

Events

1980 – Fire Companies from a four-person crew to three-person

1981 – Population 111,700
Oxnard fire has 83 sworn members
Del Manufacturing Co. burns causing $1,500,000 in damages.

1982 – Fire department added a third shift to schedule rotation
Seabee base warehouse fire burns to the ground causing $500,000 in damages.
5936 Perkins Rd., Western Kraft Paper burned for several days causing $1,500,000 in damages.

1983 – First female firefighter hired with the City of oxnard

1984 – Seabee Charter boat sinks 300 ft from the harbor 23 people saved 1 perished.
El Rio School fire burned for 5 hours demolishing the 5th and 6th grade classrooms causing $500,000 in damages.

1985 – Harrison Ave., Stokely Van Camp Facility is destroyed, fire caused $1,632,000 in damages.

1989 – Station 1 moved from 206 W. 2nd St. to 491 S. K St.

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1990-1999

Presidents/Chiefs

• 1993 – Chief Lenhart (Acting)
• 1995 – Chief Coggan
• 1996 – Chief Lenhart (Acting)
• 1998 – Chief Milligan

Apparatus

• 1991 – Pierce
• 1993 – Pierce
• 1997 – Seagrave
• 1999 – La France Tiller

Events

1990 – Population 147,528
Oxnard Fire starts training personnel in First Responder Operational Hazmat

1993 – 625 Oxnard Blvd., Association for Retarded Citizens Thrift Store burns to the ground causing $500,000 in damages.

1994 – 2889 W. Fifth St., Oxnard Airport Hanger Fire caused $2,800,000 in damages and destroyed 12 planes.

1995 – Ventura & Fifth, Sav-On Shopping Center fire causes $1,200,000 in damages and burns the center to the ground.

1996 – Oxnard Blvd., Mike Wallace Ford fire destroys dealership and causes $2,500,000 in damages.

1997 – 1974 – Van Pelt donated to Sister City Ocotlan.

1998 – 1400 Third St., Technicolor warehouse fire burned for three days causing over $3,200,000 in damages.

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2000-Present

Apparatus

• 2001 – Ford F450

Events

2000 – 4324 Vineyard Ave., Jones Ranch Barn burned caused over $1,000,000 in damages and burning the 1917 landmark to the ground.

2000 – Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Crashed off shore with 88 souls aboard

2002 – Population 182,027
Oxnard fire has 87 sworn members

2006– Station 7 opens

2014– Truck 61 and Truck 68 Arrive in Oxnard

2015- Station 8 opens

2017– OES 282 arrives in Oxnard

2018– Squad 68 launches- The first ALS unit on OFD history

2019– Light and Air 65 put in service