From the burning of Washington by the British in 1814 to the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, firefighters in Washington, D.C., have always known they are the defenders of one of the most important cities in the world.

Explore the complex, heroic, and sometimes tragic history of firefighting in Washington, D.C., as written by a worthy group of authors from The Capitol Fire Museum of Washington.

Using images and oral histories gathered over the past century, this book covers the creation of the paid fire department during the Civil War, construction of new firehouses for the fledgling city in varying international designs, the heyday of firefighting before World War II, the turbulent times of the 1960s, and the modern department today.