1930 HIGHLIGHTS

1930

• March 21 – FLAMES THREATEN TO TAKE HOMES.  Dr McCartney and Reverend Butler’s parsonage escaped damage.  High winds spread a small grass fire Reverend Butler had started while clearing his front yard.  Dr McCartney also had a clearing fire get out of control due to the high winds.  Both houses were saved but damage was done to fences and wood piles.
• June 6 – 50 ACRES BURNED BY FIRST BLAZE.  A 50 acre forest fire destroyed 50 acres of new growth fir on Puget Sound mill land southeast of the Ronald Race home.  The fire was first reported on May 29 and was put out late June 1^st.  The fire was started by person’s unlawfully hunting deer out of season and at night with a artificial light.

1931

• April - FIRE DAMAGES ISLAND COUNTY COURTHOUSE.  Quick work of the Coupeville volunteer fire department saved the Island county court house from destruction when flames gutted out one corner of the old two-story wood structure and threatened to consume valuable records. (More)
• June – ROBERT MILLER IS BACK FROM FIRE MEETING.  Robert Miller returned from Port Angeles where he attended the 10^th annual convention of Washington State Firemen’s association.  The association held the first fire college of its kind in the country. 151 firemen attended the college which offered instruction and examinations in fire streams, ventilation of burning buildings and salvage. 
• The Coupeville Chief is Les Henley

1932

• April – FIRE DESTROYS WHIDBY BOAT.  Fire of undetermined origin completely destroyed the City of Mukilteo ferry plying between Columbia and Mukilteo.  The fire was one of the most spectacular ever witnessed on Whidby Island.  The ferry was virtually a new boat and was cut loose from the slip and beached a mass of flames.  The boat was 104 feet long had a car capacity of 36.  Valuation was set at approximately $75,000.
• September - TIMELY RAINS HALT RAGING FOREST FIRE - BIGGEST WHIDBY ISLAND BLAZE SWEEPS OVER 900 ACRE AREA.  PUGET MILL LOSES 150,000 FEET TIMBER.  This was the largest forest fire in the history of Island County.  A timely rain halted nine fires at as many different locations, the largest covering 900 acres.  The greatest damage was done to the Puget Mill Company’s stands of timber near Greenbank where approximately 150,000 feet of timber was destroyed.

1933

• June – FIRE LADDIES ENJOY BANQUET.  Al Sorgenfrel was unanimously chosen as chief of the fire department.  Joe Libbey was made assistant and C.H. Ruthford will again have charge of the department’s records and funds.  C. M Sweeney, retiring chief, will again have charge of the fire plugs.  The department drilled Monday night with a good turnout.  Two teams had a competitive speed drill at the fire plug by the Circus Theatre.
• FIRE SIREN TO BE BLOWN EVERY NOON.  Starting in July the fire siren will be blown daily at noon.  Commencing that day the telephone operator will pull the switch daily at noon.  (more)

1934

• COUPEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PURCHASE TRUCK.  Early in 1934 the current system of towing the fire equipment behind a car was unsuitable so the department decided to purchase a 1926 Packard chassis for around $100.  A girls ticket selling contest was held to increase the sale of the fund raiser dance tickets for a fund raiser which raised more than $60.
• March - FIREMEN NOW ISLAND CHAMPS.  The Coupeville Volunteer Firemen are Independent basketball champions of Island County.  The league consisted of teams from Oak Harbor, Langley, Coupeville and CCC.  The team was Cal Libby, Stoddard, Race, Gookins, Davies,  Mickey Clark, Jenne, Webster, Schulka, S Clark, Hull, H. Smith, R. Smith, Alick, Mathews
• Mid year Chief Al Sorgenfrel obtained a drill manual and “intends to make a crack outfit out of the local department.”
• In August meetings and drills were moved from the Central Garage to their new quarters in the Julia Trott house across from the bank. 
• September – FISHING BOAT BURNS SUNDAY.  The fishing boat “Lols” caught fire and burned to the water’s edge off Long Point.  The loss was estimated at $3,000.

1935

• January – F.PRATTT HOME CATCHES FIRE.  The Frank Pratt home – located near the graveyard, catches fire in almost blizzard like conditions. Firemen extinguished the fire with minimal damage to the home despite snow that was up to their waists.
• March - $2000 FIRE RAZES FARM PROPERTY.  The Clark Sherman Farm suffered estimated $2000 fire loss.  A brooder started a fire that swept unchecked through the barn, granary and a shed.  Also lost were a team of horses, a calf and 450 chicks.  Strong winds made fighting a hopeless case.  The fire, situated west of Prairie Center, could be seen by people in Oak Harbor.
• April - VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. WILL SEEK FINANCIAL AID FROM COMMUNITY.  Effort is made to purchase a $600 Barton front end booster pump.  The pump will insure greater protection for those homes and farms removed from the water system. The pump will be used at wells, cisterns and other water supplies.
• The pump arrived in December.
• In September Les Henley and Bob Black were chosen captains and would choose their own squads for practice on the truck.
• November – FIREMEN PLAN DAYS OF ’49 EVENT. The firefighters sponsored a “Days of 49” celebration which was held at the Central Garage. The gambling/drinking event raised $76.41 for the expenses of the firemen.

1936

• Fire meetings were moved to every Friday night at the Central Garage.
• In February a new fire truck was added and there were plans and discussion to sell the old fire shed and build a new since the two trucks would not fit into the existing shed.  The location of the new fire shed is between the Central Hotel and the Post Office
• December- FIRE RESULTS FROM OIL PAN ON STOVE.   The first serious fire in many months occurred at the Meng’s home late in the evening.  Fire resulted from a pan of oil that had been placed on the stove while Mr. Meng was working on his car.  When moving the pan a few drops splashed to the top of the stove and fire sprang up immediately.  The walls were burning by the time the firemen arrived on the scene and before the fire could be extinguished, considerable damage resulted to the inside of the home.

1937

• In January the Coupeville Fire Department ordered it’s first three smoke masks for more protection for firemen when entering smoking buildings.
• March – FIREMEN DECIDE TO ERECT FIRE HALL.  A decision was made at the weekly fire meeting to erect a 2 story fire hall.  The new hall will replace the tin fire shed at that location.
• April -FIRE!! FIRE!! With the doing away with telephone central in Coupeville has raised questions on how alarms should be sounded.  Chief Sorgenfrel suggested dialing the Operator Oak Harbor in daytime and 593 or 202 in the evenings.
• May – FIRE HALL WILL BE OF FIREPROFF TILE.  The construction of the new fire hall was started.  The contractors of this building were Bill Day and Otto Van Dyk.  The building was in-service but not quite completed in December.

1938

• In January a election for officers was held and Al Sorgenfrel is chief and Les Morris is assistant chief and Joe Libby was secretary.

1939

• August – FIRE CHIEF REPORTS THEFT OF ARTICLES FROM TOWN TRUCK.  The fire station was broken into and equipment valued at $25 dollars was stolen.  Because of this theft Chief Al Sorgenfrel has closed the fire station to anyone except firemen.

Significant 1930’s Members

Chief Al Sorgenfriel, Chief/Captain Les Henley, Captain Bob Black

Secretary Chuck Ruthford, Fire Warden Stoddard, Secretary Joe Libby,

Assist Chief Les Morris, Robert Miller,