Come down to the firehouse on Saturday, August 2nd, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this station being opened in its current form; tours will be offered when crews are not otherwise occupied.
From the Portland Fire and Rescue page on Station 15:
“Station 15 – Portland Heights (Vista Heights)
The original Station 15 was intended to be built in 1907 but delays at city hall and among contractors would put it off until early 1908. Station 15 was the first and one of the few stations to receive a three horse team for both the steam pumper and the hose wagon. This was necessary to maneuver the steep roadways of the west hills.
Engine 15 would receive their first motorized fire engine in 1914, an American LaFrance pumper. The entire department would be motorized by April of 1920. By the early 1920s, the station was marked for replacement. In 1925, the old station would be razed and replaced with a Bungalow design fire station. These Bungalow Stations were designed to blend in with the neighborhoods they served, not resembling working stations from the exterior.
Today, Station 15’s Bungalow design remains in service along with Station 26 and Station 11. Many others still exist across the city, but have been sold to private interests. Station 15 houses a single engine company and responds primarily to medical calls and residential fires. However, Engine 15 is often part of the very large High-Rise “Box Assignments” for many of Portland’s downtown high-rises. They are grateful for the residents of their surrounding neighborhoods, as they often stop by with a friendly word or wave as they pass the Engine on the streets. Station 15 takes great pride in participating in many community events throughout the southwest hills of Portland.”
Station 15 is located at the intersection of SW Spring St and SW Vista Ave, just across from the Vista Springs Cafe.