Brave Lancashire firefighters over the past seven decades

Elswick, 1906
Fire at the thatched cottages, attended by Singleton Fire Brigade
Historical — Elswick, 1906 Fire at the thatched cottages, attended by Singleton Fire Brigade Historical

To mark the 70th anniversary of Lancashire Fire Service, we take a look back at the county’s coast’s firefighting heroes over the decades.

It was on April 1, 1948, Lancashire County Fire Brigade came into being, after it took over from the National Fire Service – brought into being because of the Second World War.

Before the war, there were a number of smaller brigades in the county area, but with the revision to local authority control after the war, Lancashire County Council was constituted and the fire authority and the county brigade came into being.

6.6.42
Comrades of the National Fire Service walked in procession to Marton Burial Ground, to pay their tribute to Fireman Ernest Chadwick, of Winton Avenue, who died after an accident in Morecambe.
Historical, Blackpool, fire brigade — 6.6.42 Comrades of the National Fire Service walked in procession to Marton Burial Ground, to pay their tribute to Fireman Ernest Chadwick, of Winton Avenue, who died after an accident in Morecambe. Historical, Blackpool, fire brigade

From the brave heroes who have battled numerous blazes across Lancashire, to the impressive fire engines they use – which have changed a bit over the years – take a look at these fantastic archive pictures showing the county’s firefighters of yesteryear.