Brush truck. Ex – Los Angeles County, CA. Donated by Gene Autry.

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The Moreland Truck Company of Burbank, California supplied the Los Angeles Division of Forestry with the chassis of one of their three ton trucks in 1930.  Moreland was the largest truck maker west of the Mississippi, and supplied a considerable number of trucks to California fire departments. 

The Division of Forestry designed its own brush truck, installing a 350 gallon per minute pump that could be operated while the truck was in forward motion, a key requirement for a brush truck.  The Division also installed a 600 gallon water tank, a pair of booster lines, and several hundred feet of one inch cotton hose.  Four hard suctions allow the tank to be refilled from a hydrant or other water source.

The paint scheme of light and dark green was quite striking.  The Division used the truck to fight many brush fires in Los Angeles County. 

During World War II the Division was made a part of the LA County Fire Department and the truck was painted red. 

Gene Autry found the truck years after LA County had abandoned it.  Gene donated it to the Hall of Flame in 1989, and Don Hale did an excellent restoration.  It is now on exhibit in the Hall of Flame’s Wildland Firefighting gallery.

Skills

Posted on

December 9, 2019