Professional Service by Dedicated Volunteers.

The Smith River Fire Department was informally organized in 1934, after a devastating fire the previous year that nearly destroyed the entire town. The department’s first fire engine was a pickup truck with a 55 gallon drum of water and buckets in the back of the pickup. The engine was housed in a shed on Fred Haight Drive where the fish hatchery is now located.

In 1956, the Smith River Fire Protection District was formally incorporated under Fire District Law, Section 14017 of the California Health and Safety Code as the “Smith River Volunteer Fire Department”. In the late 1970’s and into the early 1980’s, the Del Norte Local Agency Formation Commission (DNLAFCo) established boundaries and “spheres of influence” for all local fire departments in Del Norte County.

The District’s By-laws were established about this time, in 1978. On April 21, 1983, SRFPD adopted a resolution annexing the Hiouchi area into the District.