On Sept. 27, 1943, Henrico County named P.L. Burnett acting chief of all county fire departments, an important step in the development of what eventually became today’s Henrico Division of Fire.
At the time, Henrico’s firefighting system bore little resemblance to the countywide operation residents know today. Only two fire stations were providing protection for the entire county, with the City of Richmond assisting in certain areas, according to Henrico’s historical records.
The county’s organized fire-protection system was still relatively young. A Sandston-Highland Springs station had opened at Nine Mile Road and Holly Street in August 1941. The following January, Richmond’s annexation of western Henrico absorbed the Westhampton station on Maple Avenue, which became Richmond Fire Station 19…