Firefighting in ancient Rome

Most ancient Roman cities had no firefighting organizations or equipment dedicated to fighting fires.

An aedile by the name of Egnatius Rufus created a band of slaves that were tasked with putting out fires.

[4] Eventually, Augustus created a fire brigade called the Vigiles Urbani in 6 AD.

[15] While I was making a progress in a different part of the province, a most extensive fire broke out at Nicomedia, which not only consumed several private houses, but also two public buildings; the town-house and the temple of Isis, though they stood on contrary sides of the street.

The truth is the city was not furnished with either engines, [1033]buckets, or any single instrument suitable for extinguishing fires; which I have now however given directions to have prepared.

You will consider, Sir, whether it may not be advisable to institute a company of fire-men, consisting only of one hundred and fifty members.

But it is to be remembered that societies of this sort have greatly disturbed the peace of the province in general, and of those cities in particular.