The Fire Horses of San Francisco, 1863 to 1921

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For 58 years, to the day, San Francisco's fire engines were pulled by horses. The first horse joined the department on August 19, 1863. The last run behind horses was on August 19, 1921.

From hand power to horsepower

The city's early fire companies dragged their engines by hand. Steam engines were too heavy for that. On October 14, 1863, Pennsylvania Engine Company No. 12 answered the first alarm in San Francisco with a horse-drawn rig, and the change spread from there.

A department of about 400 horses

At full strength the department kept roughly 400 horses. One tally in the fire museum's history lists 398: 215 for the engine companies, 33 for the trucks, 10 for the chiefs' buggies, 3 for the water tower and 108 in relief and other work. The heavy horses on the engines were Percherons. The buggy horses were bred as trotters. A horse went into service at about four years old and could serve past twenty, then retired to a farm near Martinez.

1906

When the earthquake struck at 5:12 on the morning of April 18, 1906, horse-drawn steam engines were what the city had. One of the engines that fought the fire, built in 1892, still exists. The first gasoline buggies for chiefs arrived that same year.

The last run

  • August 19, 1921, 4:15 p.m. Engine Company No. 6 answers a small fire on Jessie Street, between Seventh and Eighth, behind three black horses. It is the last alarm answered by horses. At 5:30 the company is motorized.

  • August 29, 1921. The last five horses leave the quarters of Engine Company No. 33.

  • December 31, 1921. The department stables officially close.

  • August 29, 1934. Mike, the last horse the department bought, dies at 27.

The San Francisco Fire Department Museum keeps horse-drawn rigs from these years. This is one entry in the full Bay Area horse history timeline.

Sources

HistoryZachary LeydenBay Area horse history, San Francisco, fire horses, 1906 earthquake