Lehi City Fire Department

The story of Lehi’s first fire station begins at the turn of the 20th century, when the town recognized the need for a dedicated home for its growing firefighting efforts. In January 1901, the city erected its inaugural fire station just east of the City Hall, at 172 West Main Street—today that location corresponds roughly to what is now part of the Lehi Bakery building. 

That original fire station was modest in size—measuring only about 18 by 26 feet—yet it held a critical role in Lehi’s public safety.  Its arrival coincided with the purchase of a hand-pumper fire engine, weighing around 800 pounds, which the city council bought for roughly $570.  Because motorized fire apparatus were not yet widespread, local firefighters often hauled the pumper by hand or later with horse teams to the site of the blaze.

Early firefighting in Lehi demanded a good deal of improvisation. Water for fighting fires had to be drawn from irrigation ditches, wells, or troughs, depending on availability. In the earliest documented incident using the hand pumper, a fire broke out in a small storage structure adjacent to City Hall. The night-watchman, John D. Woodhouse, spotted the flames in time, the pumper was deployed, and the damage—though noticeable—was relatively contained. 

As Lehi’s population and business district grew, the fire station had to evolve. In 1914 a photograph shows members of the fire department arrayed in front of the original building, a reminder that despite increasing demands, that early station remained central to the city’s defense against fire. Lehi City Later, when the department expanded, the Main Street station was replaced by newer facilities farther out, and the first building eventually lost its role in firefighting. 

One small but telling detail: along with the station, two water cisterns were constructed on Main Street—one near City Hall and another at First West—to provide a reserve supply for the hand pumper. Over time, as municipal infrastructure improved (fire hydrants, pressurized water systems, motorized fire trucks), those early cisterns and the small station became relics of a bygone era, yet they stand as a testament to Lehi’s early determination to protect its homes, businesses, and citizens.

Lehi City

1925 Waterous Fire Equipment on White Ford Truck. This picture was taken in front of the state capital building in 1928.