Victorville Fire Department To Celebrate 100 Years Of Service During Aug. 8 Centennial Event

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — The Victorville Fire Department is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and is inviting the community to join a free centennial celebration on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Victorville Fire Museum.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the museum, located at 15620 8th Street, and will begin with a ceremony at 9 a.m. Visitors can enjoy fire apparatus displays, firefighter skills demonstrations, and guided tours of the Victorville Fire Museum.

“I thank our Victorville firefighters for their dedicated service. Placing oneself in harm’s way to help another is a special calling that puts our firefighters in our debt,” said Victorville Mayor Liz Becerra. “We are very excited to celebrate 100 years of Victorville Fire with our community.”

The Victorville Fire Department traces its roots to 1926, when the Victorville County Fire Protection District was established. Four years later, the Victorville Volunteer Fire Department was formed. The department reached a significant milestone in 1972 when the city hired its first full-time fire chief, marking the beginning of a modern professional fire department.

In 1976, approximately 14 years after Victorville incorporated as a city, control of the Victorville Fire Protection District was transferred to the City of Victorville. The city later contracted fire, emergency medical, and rescue services with the San Bernardino County Fire District in 2008.

Victorville reestablished its own municipal fire department in 2019 after city leaders voted to return fire services to local control.

Today, the Victorville Fire Department operates five fire stations serving nearly 142,000 residents and responds to more than 25,000 calls for service annually, making it one of the busiest fire departments in San Bernardino County.

City officials said the department has expanded significantly over the past five years through revenue generated by Measure P, the one-cent sales tax approved by Victorville voters in 2020. Improvements have included the opening of Fire Station 315, the hiring of more than 20 additional firefighters, and the acquisition of new fire engines, a tiller truck, a water tender, and transport-capable squads.

Motorists should be aware that Eighth Street will be closed between D Street and B Street during the celebration. Attendees are encouraged to access Old Town Victorville via Hesperia Road and Seventh Street. Parking will be available on nearby side streets.

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