12022-11-29T23:12:37-08:00Los Angeles firefighters tending their water pumps during a fire at Third Street and Broadway, ca.19134plain2023-01-03T12:00:31-08:00This photograph depicts firefighters combating a building fire in Los Angeles with water pumps. Water pumps are used in firefighting to spray water at a high pressures at specific locations [1]. At low pressure, the water will evaporate due to the heat of the fire. Evaporation will cause the water to turn into a gas [2].
In Los Angeles, these pumps were attached to the first fire engines. These engines were drawn by horses and carried 50-gallon tanks of water [3]. The water was treated with a chemical mixture to assist in putting out fires [4]. Around 1910, engines powered by gasoline were used to replace horses, which is the reason there are no horses in this photograph. These engines made it easier for firefighters to be transported quickly. In addition, these engines were also applied to the water pumps, making it possible for the pumps to function [5]. [1] “What is a Fire Pump?,” About Mechanics (October 24, 2022), 1. “Fire Fighting High Pressure Water Pumps,” Absolute Water Pumps (December 31, 2019), 1.
[2] “Water Works for Fire Protection” American Water Works Association (March 1920), 225.
[3] “History of LAFD,” Los Angeles Fire Department (n.d.), 1.
[4] “History of LAFD,” Los Angeles Fire Department (n.d.), 1
[5] “The History of Firefighting,” Merrimack Fire Rescue (n.d.), 1.
