What Flames Have Undone

The history of fires and fire protection begins in Fredericton with the appointment of fire wards, who were the first organization to fight the flames. In 1817 an act was passed by the legislature for the appointment of fire wards, and on Feb. 22, 1819 the first were appointed by the council, these were Col. Trench, John M. Bliss, Wm. P. ODell, Peter Praser, Henry Smith, Geo. Shore, Jededian Slason and George Minchin.

The fire wards appointed twenty firemen, organized bucket brigades, and conducted operations at fires generally. They were empowered to inspect houses and to take other precautions against fires, and they could command assistance for removing goods and extinguishing flames, with a penalty of 40 shillings for disobeying. They carried emblems of office in the shape of a red staff seven feet long and a speaking trumpet painted white with the name of Fredericton in black letters.

On April 13, 1822, the council granted leave to the citizens of Fredericton to dig a water tank and erect an engine house on Phoenix Square. This was built by Thos. C. Everett and a hand engine was bought just in time for the fire of 1825. The summer of that year was hot and dry, and Fredericton was well prepared for a destructive fire On Sept. 19 Government House was burned and on the afternoon of Oct. 7th when the citizens were just recovering from the former excitement the flames broke out again in two places. While citizens and military were engaged in saving the house of Gen. Baillie, a mile below town, fire started in the house of Jarvis Ring on one of the back streets. With the wood like tinder the flames spread rapidly on both sides of the street. At York Street, the wind changed and drove the conflagration up York to Queen and both streets were laid bare from York to Carleton.

Seventy buildings were destroyed with a loss of 33,000 pounds. The same day a disastrous fire broke out in the forests of the Miramichi and Nashwaak with terrible loss of property and life. A public meeting was called and Wm. Taylor and Henry Geo. Clopper were appointed a committee to receive and disburse subscriptions for the sufferers of both fires.

Some of the inhabitants showed considerable depravity on this occasion. There was a great deal of pillaging that night, canoes were filled with goods crossing the river; a sloop was observed on its way to St. John full of stolen property and even women engaged in this business, but on such occasions as these men show their best as well as their worst natures. The men of the 52nd assisted the citizens nobly in battling the flames and after the fire St. John and other places contributed freely towards assisting the destitute.

Experience is the great teacher and this fire resulted in greater precautions against the destroyer. On April 18th following a meeting was called and a fire company was formed. That year too the legislature passed an act requiring every citizen to keep two leather buckets and two ladders and to take them to all fires. The town constables were ordered to report to the fire wards when fires broke out and assist in their extinction and any person dis-obeying the fire wards might be committed to jail. The act also gave the sessions authority to purchase another engine, but this was not procured until 1850, when the next great fire occurred.

On November 11th, an Irish immigrant named Dohahoe while sawing wood for Miss McLauchlan on Carleton Street, let a spark from his pipe fall amongst the dry material about and the wood was soon a blaze. He did not give the alarm immediately and the flames soon spread to the house and all around. The whole center of the town was burned, including the blocks from Queen to Brunswick and from Carleton to St. John Streets.

About 2000 persons were made homeless and many spent the night in the graveyard. Most of the business of the town at this time was done in this section and many of the merchants had laid in their winter stock, which was all destroyed. The loss was about 100,00 pounds. The evil spirits spent the night in dissipation for liquor was flowing freely.

The following day, Thursday, a public meeting was called and a relief committee was appointed with Lt. Gov. Head chairman.

On Monday July 17, 1854 occurred the next great fire which broke out at midnight on the premises of Hugh Wiley on Queen Street and destroyed the two blocks on the upper side of Carleton Street and Phoenix Square between King Street and the river. Hundreds stood by with their hands in their pockets and it was evident that an efficient fire department was needed.

This need was filled afterward by dividing Fredericton into five wards with an engine in each. In 1871 and 1874 steam fire engines were purchased and in 1882 the present water works system was inaugurated, and there has been no big fires since 1854.

W. G. MacParlane