San Francisco firefighters show Christmas spirit with firehouse light displays
SAN FRANCISCO -- Firefighters in San Francisco pulled out all the stops for their 3rd annual Fire Station Community Holiday Decorations Competition.
Three SFFD station crews gave KPIX an up-close look at some of the final touches.
Station 35, Station 38 and Station 39 all provided KPIX camera crews a tour Tuesday night ahead of the Wednesday judging. Each firehouse was tasked with decorating its station with holiday lights and decor in an effort to fundraise for charity and gin up holiday spirit in a tradition that dates back to the 1940's.
Station 35, which sits along the Embarcadero and boasts two rescue boats, strung up lights and inflatables across the boats with a brilliant backdrop of the Bay Bridge.
Station 39, which is just off Portola Drive at the foot of Mt. Davidson, used an all-hands-on-deck approach for its decorations. Firefighters blew up inflatables, set up a mock firefighter with a light-up firehose, and strung up holiday lights in the shape of a Christmas Tree.
They said several firefighters contributed their own decorations to the effort and that they spent several days over the last month getting everything ready for the judges.
Station 38 off California Street near Pacific Heights solicited the help of neighbors for its display, even lighting up the trees that lined the street.
The San Francisco Fire Credit Union is sponsoring the competition and will award the top 3 finishers up to $1,500 in prize money donated to the charity of the firehouse's choice.
Mayor London Breed will ultimately select the winners based on visual presence, community involvement and the incorporation of local businesses.