After two major fires in the Oak Grove commercial area that destroyed major buildings, one in 1914 and another in 1921, citizens began to demand more fire protection. Other than the usual “bucket brigade” about the only defense was the P.R.L. & P. (Portland Railway, Light and Power Co.) fire car that had to roll in on the Interurban line from Portland. The absence of decent fire protection was devastating. But it wasn’t until the 1940’s that the “Oak Grove Rural Fire Protection District” was finally formed.
In December 1944 Gordon, Rilla and Donald Skoog deeded the Oak Grove Rural Fire Protection District Lot 2 Block 44 First Subdivision of Portion of Oak Grove – where the fire station is still located today. A makeshift wood frame clapboard and tarpaper structure was constructed to house one fire truck.
In Dec. 1946 the Oak Grove Rural Fire Protection District requested permission to build a fire house on the lot deeded by the Skoogs. The request was denied by the Civilian Production Administration.
It wasn’t until April 1949 that a new “fireproof” fire hall was proposed by chief Cleone Puderbaugh that would house three fire trucks and “sleepers” for the night shift volunteer firemen. Puderbaugh was quoted as saying “the present clapboard and tarpaper fire hall is so flimsy that attempts to keep it heated last winter, so that the trucks would not freeze, were in vain”. From blueprints by F.A. Deardorff, of the firm Sidney P. Lathrop, Registered Professional Engineer, dated July 1949 a new fire hall was built for $35,000. The fire Chief, and later the Fire Marshall, lived in the old Skoog house next door – with a tap out that could be activated from the station to bring him over to operate the radio when the engine was on a call. The house was turned into an office in the 1970’s and was eventually torn down for the addition to the fire station in 1976.
In Sept. 1995 a bond measure was passed to build a new fire station that would meet the current earthquake standards.
For more details see the Oak Lodge Fire Department History, July 1, 1967 – Jan. 31, 1996, written by Bob Bany in 1996.
