The first recorded fire in Auburn was on December 21, 1816 during a blizzard in below freezing temperatures, and fire suppression was extremely difficult.
By January 1817 Auburn had its first fire engine, but citizens were still responsible for helping when fires broke out – any boy or man became a volunteer firefighter. In September 1817, Village Trustees ordered a leather bucket placed in all dwellings and other buildings, one for each fireplace, and more if the structure was over 3 stories. All buckets must be placed on the porch in the event of fire or a $0.25 fine was imposed for each missing bucket.
