Teams with antique fire apparatus from Northern California and Nevada were trophy winners in the weekend's Virginia City firemen's muster. The competition was hosted by the nonprofit Comstock Firemen's Museum as part of its observance of the 150th anniversary of the organization of the Virginia Fire Department, which was the first fire department in Nevada.
The weekend event started Saturday morning with a parade of antique and in-service fire apparatus that included fire departments from throughout the region, followed by competition among 23 teams with 19th-century hand-pumped fire engines, motorized pumpers and hosewagons, steam-powered fire engines, as well as hose cart races and bucket brigades.
The weekend competition was held under the auspices of the California Firemen's Muster Association (CFMA) in conjunction with the Comstock Firemen's Museum. The competition simulates a fire emergency evolution in which teams with antique fire apparatus must supply hose to a fire hydrant, hook up a nozzle and squirt a target down with hose pressure for time. Bucket brigade teams are timed moving 50-gallons of water from one tank to another, 20 feet apart, using five old-fashioned fire buckets.
The next CFMA firemen's muster will be held Aug. 6-7 in Blue Lake, Calif., followed by the CFMA State Championship Muster Aug. 20-21 in Tulare, Calif. More information on CFMA firemen's musters is available at www.californiamuster.com.
A restored circa-1879 Clapp & Jones steam fire engine from the Comstock Firemen's Museum led the trophy winners with the top trophy in the steam fire engine category after pumping Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, showing its firefighting capabilities.
CFMA results from the Virginia City Firemen's Muster competition:
Steam Fire Engines: (1) 1879 Clapp & Jones Steam Fire Engine, Comstock Firemen's Museum.
Hand-pumped Fire Engines:
Class II A - (1) Warren Engine Co. No. 1, Carson City, 1847 Hunneman
Class II B - (1) Richville, Elk Grove, Calif., 1889 Howe
Motorized Hosewagons-Preservation Division:
Class I - (1) Columbia VFD, Columba, Calif., 1919 Model TT Ford,. 11.44 seconds.
Class II - (1) Grand Canyon Fire Company, 1921 Model TT Ford, 13.27
Class III - (1) Ole 9 Toes A Team, Ridgecrest, Calif., 1931 Studebaker, 12.45 seconds; (2) Ole 9 Toes A Team, 1931 Studebaker, 17.31 seconds; (3) That Dam Engine Co., Reno, 20.78 seconds.
Motorized Hosewagons-Women's Preservation Division:
Class I - (1) Columbia VFD, 1919 Model TT Ford. 18.63 seconds; (2) Little Fire Company, Sacramento, 1917 Model T, 31.66 seconds.
Class II - (1)Grand Canyon Fire Company, 1921 Ford Model TT. 27.45
Class III - (1) Big Dog A Team, Castaic, Calif., 1940 GMC Fabco, 12.62 seconds; Big Dog B Team, 13.66 seconds; Mutual Aid Fire Company, Loomis, Calif., 1930 REO Speedwagon, 15.22 seconds.
Motorized Hosewagons-Speed Division:
Class II - (1) Vacaville Fire District B Team, 1929 Dodge, 29.33 seconds; (2)Vacaville Fire District A Team, 49.32 seconds.
Class III - Big Dog A Team, Castaic, Calif., 1940 GMC Fabco, 28.08 second; Mutual Aid Fire Company, Loomis, Calif., 1930 REO Speedwagon, 28.60 seconds; Big Dog B Team, 31.68 seconds.
Class IV - (1) Murphy's Fire Muster Team A Team, Murphy's, Calif., 1925 Kenosha, 29.77 seconds; (2) Murphy's Fire Muster Team B Team, 32.43 seconds.
Class V - (1) Woodland Avenue, Modesto, Calif.,1949 Dodge, 27.09 seconds; (2) Tulare County A Team, Lindsay, Calif., 1955 International, 35.66 seconds; (3) Tulare County B Team 40.87 seconds.
Motorized Hosewagons-Women's Speed Division:
Class II - (1) Vacaville Fire District, Vacaville, Calif., 1929 Dodge, 36.95.
Class IV - (1) Murphy's Fire Muster Team, Murphy's, Calif., 1925 Kenosha, 33.07 seconds; (2) Murphy's Fire Muster Team, 38.60.
Class V - (1) Woodland Avenue, Modesto, Calif., 1949 Dodge, 58.65 seconds.
Motorized Pumpers-Women's Division:
Class III - (1) Sonora Fire Department, Sonora, Calif., 1939 GMC, 22.70 seconds; (2) Auburn Hose Co. No. 2, Auburn, Calif., 1940 Ford Van Pelt.
Class IV - (1) Colma Fire Muster Team, Colma, Calif., 1941 White, 58.56 seconds.
Motorized Pumpers-Open Division:
Class III - (1) Auburn Hose Co. No. 2, Auburn, Calif., 1940 Ford Van Pelt, 17.75 seconds; (2) Sonora Fire Department, 1939 GMC, 19.33 seconds; (3) Tulare County A Team, 1940 American LaFrance, Lindsay, Calif., 19.77 seconds.
Class IV - (1) Colma Fire Muster Team, Colma, Calif., 1941 White, 51.49 seconds.
Hose Cart Races:
Vintage Open Division - (1) Colma Fire Muster Team, Colma, Calif., 30.79 seconds; (2) North Monterey County, Castroville, Calif., 34.22 seconds; (3) Tulare County, Lindsay, Calif., 35.79 seconds.
Women's Division - (1) Colma Fire Muster Team, Colma, Calif., 45.19 seconds; (2) Rusty Hose Cart, Virginia City, 50.24 seconds.
Class B Division - (1) Colma Fire Muster Team, 39.95 seconds.
Bucket Brigades:
Women's Division - (1) Sonora Fire Department, Sonora, Calif., 1:04.83; (2) Tulare County, Lindsay, Calif., 1:05.58; Colma Fire Muster Team, Colma, Calif., 1:07.53.
Men's Division - (1) Sonora Fire Department, Sonora, Calif., 37.62 seconds; (2) Big Dog, Castaic, Calif., 54.75 seconds; (3) North Monterey County, Castroville, Calif., 59.31 seconds.
