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SFFD Museum, Laurel Heights
Nearly destroyed by fire seven times, San Francisco owes more to its fire department than most other cities. Located on Presidio Avenue in Laurel Heights, the San Francisco Fire Department Museum traces the history of fire-fighting in the city from 1849 until the present day. The museum's collection includes articles from the 'Volunteer Days' when private groups, intensely jealous of one another, would compete to be the first on the scene of a fire. The helmets of some of these volunteers are pictured above along with a LaFrance Steamer from 1897. The museum contains a great collection of historical vehicles, uniforms, equipment, photos, and alarms. A special collection of items from the great fire of 1906 (the largest urban fire in U.S. history) is also on display.
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