Mural to commemorate Vancouver Fire Department’s 150 years

As part of celebrations for the Vancouver Fire Department’s 150th birthday, a local artist will paint a mural commemorating the occasion on a nearby Walgreen’s in Uptown Vancouver.

The city partnered with the Clark County Mural Society for the project, city spokeswoman Carol Bua said, and it hired Guy Drennan to paint the mural on the north wall of the Walgreen’s building, 2515 Main St., according to the department. That wall is across the street from the planned site for the department’s new Station 1 building, at 2607 Main St.

Bua said the mural will be painted later this spring, as the weather gets a bit nicer.

Vancouver’s fire department is one of the oldest in Washington, predating Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma’s departments.

According to the department, it was formed in the aftermath of a major fire in 1866.

On Aug. 23 of that year, a fire broke out in a furniture store downtown near what is now Fourth and Washington streets.

Winds spread the fire through the densely packed, wooden buildings in the block, destroying eight buildings in about an hour.

Groups formed a volunteer fire company in response, then, on April 1, 1867, the Vancouver City Council passed an ordinance consolidating a few local fire companies to establish the department.

All this month, the department has been sharing photos and stories from its history on its Facebook page: Vancouver Fire Department, Vancouver WA.