City of Riverside Fire Department

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City of Riverside Fire Department Founded in 1882 with over a 137 years of service. www.RiversideCA.gov/fire
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Welcome to the City of Riverside Fire Department’s official page. The City of Riverside Fire Department is a department of dedicated professional firefighters and civilian personnel committed to providing the highest quality of service and protection to the community. If you wish to report a fire, or have a concern that should be handled in a timely manner, please DO NOT leave a message here. If you have an emergency need, please call 911. If you have a problem that does not require an immediate response, please call our 24-hour non-emergency Dispatch Center at (951) 354-2007. The purpose of this site is to present matters of public interest concerning the Department’s programs, activities, news stories, and photos. We welcome your comments; however, please note this is a moderated online discussion site and not a public forum. If you need an official source for information about the City of Riverside Fire Department please visit our website at https://www.riversideca.gov/fire/ Comments made by the public to our page will be reviewed, and while comments will not be edited by our personnel, the Department reserves the right to remove comments that include:

• Comments unrelated to the purpose and topical scope of the page. This page is not meant for comments that do not directly relate to the purpose or topical scope of the page.
• Profane or obscene language or content.
• Sexual content, or links to sexual content.
• Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation.
• Incitement to imminent lawless action.
• Speech presenting a grave and imminent threat
• Fighting words
• True threats
• Fraud
• Defamation (libel/slander)
• Solicitations to commit, or speech integral to, criminal conduct.
• Advertising of products or services.
• Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems; or content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party.
• Copyrighted material (if posted without the copyright holder’s consent). The Department may take steps to have a comment removed if it falls within one of the foregoing categories. Also, please keep in mind that this an internet page on facebook.com. owns and operates facebook.com. It has its own policies and standards concerning what may, and may not, be posted and the actions that it may take with regard to unauthorized posts. See “Facebook Community Standards” at www.facebook.com/communitystandards/. The Department may also take steps to remove “robo spam” and/or comments by “social bots” (i.e., content posted by automatic software programs, or “bots”) if necessary to ensure access for the general public. Furthermore, while we encourage debate and discussion, we respectfully request that commenters be mindful that this site is open to the public and that commenters be courteous and civil toward one another. The Department is not responsible for, and neither endorses nor opposes, comments placed on this site by visitors to this site. Citizens are personally responsible for their own comments.

The next chapter begins! Join us in congratulating Division Chief Tony Perna on his retirement after 26 years of dedicat...
10/19/2026

The next chapter begins! Join us in congratulating Division Chief Tony Perna on his retirement after 26 years of dedicated service to the City of Riverside Fire Department. We wish you all the best, Tony!

SANTA ANA HIGH WIND WARNINGFrom the National Weather Service.From 6 AM Thursday to 8 PM Saturday.For Thursday and Friday...
10/15/2026

SANTA ANA HIGH WIND WARNING

From the National Weather Service.

From 6 AM Thursday to 8 PM Saturday.

For Thursday and Friday northeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 55 mph possible. Gusts are over 60 mph near the Cajon Pass.
For Saturday, winds will turn more easterly with gusts 35 to 45 mph, strongest below the San Gorgonio Pass.

IMPACTS - Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult for high profile vehicles.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS - Winds will be strongest on Friday.

Learn more about how to prepare at:
https://riversideca.gov/fire/community-wildfire-preparedness

At 1015 each day the fire department in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Management, will be exercising its disa...
10/13/2026

At 1015 each day the fire department in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Management, will be exercising its disaster operations procedures. Simulated radio traffic may be heard. There will be no impacts to emergency services during the exercise.

The next chapter begins! Join us in congratulating Firefighter Engineer Peter Habib on his retirement after 28 years of ...
09/28/2026

The next chapter begins! Join us in congratulating Firefighter Engineer Peter Habib on his retirement after 28 years of dedicated service to the City of Riverside Fire Department. We wish you all the best, Peter!

Ward 2 Cervantes / 1575 University Ave / Vacant Commercial Business / RIV Incident  #26-035939On Friday September 25, 20...
09/25/2026

Ward 2 Cervantes / 1575 University Ave / Vacant Commercial Business / RIV Incident #26-035939

On Friday September 25, 2026, at 6:44 a.m., The City of Riverside Fire Department responded to 1575 University Ave to a vacant commercial building. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke conditions coming from the roof of the structure. The incident was upgraded to a total of four alarms due to the size and complexity of the structure and homeless people were exiting the structure and living around the structure.

Firefighters were hindered by the vacant structure being boarded up. Firefighters had to perform high density forcible entry to make entry into the building for fire suppression and conduct a primary search. No victims were in the structure. A dog was unharmed in the structure and Riverside County Animal Control assisted with the removal of the dog once the structure was safe to enter.

AMR assisted with three ambulances on standby. Fire Prevention responded to the incident to assist. The Fire Department’s Arson Investigators responded to the incident and investigated; the investigation is ongoing. City of Riverside Code Enforcement and Building Services responded to the incident to assist with the property owner for securing of the structure. The structure was Red Tagged by Code Enforcement.

RPD assisted with traffic control of University Ave which had to be closed for apparatus and the hydrant water supply line. University was closed between Cranford Ave and Chicago Ave. There were no civilian injuries and no firefighter injuries.

Incident Information Fact Sheet:

https://riversideca.gov/fire/incident/university-incident-9

Flashback FridaySanker's Barn and the origins for the Arlington Volunteer Fire Department.In 1883 the town of Arlington ...
09/25/2026

Flashback Friday

Sanker's Barn and the origins for the Arlington Volunteer Fire Department.

In 1883 the town of Arlington was annexed into the City of Riverside. Arlington was "The city within a city" when it combined with the Riverside colony to form the 39.4-square-mile City of Riverside in 1883. The Arlington neighborhood grew with two annexations in 1961 and 1964.

1898 December 2nd, 1898, Arlington Volunteer Fire Company is moved to a Shed behind Carpenter’s Appliance Store on Miller Street. (Oliva’s Restaurant) later moved to Sanker’s Barn located at 9529 Magnolia Ave.

Sylvester Sanker was placed in charge of the Arlington Fire Department from 1898 to 1908.

1900 March 14, 1900, Arlington Volunteer Fire Department formally organized into the City of Riverside Fire Department. Sylvester Sanker was elected foreman and A.C. Turner elected Secretary.
1903 April 10, 1903, Sylvester Sanker was elected Foreman of the Arlington Company.

Single Horse-Drawn Fire Hose Wagon relocated to Sanker’s Barn at 9529 Magnolia Ave W.N. Pebbles was hired as the first driver.
In 1907, Station 2 formally moved to Arlington and merged with the Arlington Volunteer Fire Department. The following is a historical timeline of Station 2.

1908 April 5th, 1908, Riverside Arlington Fire Station and Library plans developed.

1909 Shelby Tabler became Captain of the Arlington Fire Department, remaining driver and caretaker of the highly prized firewagon team for several years.

Congratulations to Firefighter/Paramedic Kristen Johnson on successfully completing her Engine Certification Practical. ...
09/23/2026

Congratulations to Firefighter/Paramedic Kristen Johnson on successfully completing her Engine Certification Practical. Excellent job Engine 14C. Pictured from left to right: Firefighter F.Carlos, Engineer G.Curry, Firefighter/Paramedic K.Johnson, Captain T.Beeler.

09/23/2026

🚒 Ready Riverside Public Safety Expo is almost here!
Come to the Ready Riverside Public Safety Expo this Saturday, September 26th, 2026! It’s a great opportunity to interact with the people who work to keep our community safe, check out some of the equipment they use up close, and enjoy free activities for the whole family.

Date: Saturday, September 26th, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Galleria at Tyler, in front of Five Below

We hope to see you there!

Address

3401 University Avenue
Riverside, CA
92501

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