Portland Fire & Rescue will hold a final send-off celebration for the historic David Campbell Fire Boat. The David Campbell was put into service in 1927, operating in Portlandās rivers for nearly 100 years, and was officially retired in 2021. In her 100 years of service, the David Campbell was involved in many significant incidents, always meeting the challenge and providing an incredible working platform for firefighters to address whatever emergency presented itself on our local waterways.
There are many generations of firefighters who have had the pleasure of witnessing the David Campbell do exactly what she was designed to do--pull water up from the river in large volumes and extinguish fires. Its most recent opportunity was nearly 10 years ago with a 5thĀ Alarm Fire at the Red Lion on the Columbia River where crews were stretching hand lines and using the large aerial master streams from the ladder trucks without much success. The David Campbell arrived on scene and turned the corner for us, putting the needed gallonage on the fire to allow us to finish the job from the land side.
In the years since the David Campbellās retirement, members of Portland Fire & Rescue have worked with local nautical historians in hope of finding a publicly accessible home for the vessel, so the history of the David Campbell can live on. After many years of work, the final location was determined to be the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
Come watch the final water display and send-off of this historic vessel as she makes her last voyage to drydock storage until the Spring of 2026, when she will be trailered to the museum in Astoria for all to enjoy.
Source: Portland Fire & Rescue