 The first major fire to confront the new fire department was on April 21, 1888, when the Pavilion, a large wood-frame structure used for many social occasions such as theaters, dances, and general meeting space, burned to the ground.Nearly two decades later, in February 1906, the first station was built for the Riverside Fire Department at the corner of 8th and Lime Streets.The department received its first motorized unit in September 1909, with the $4,750 purchase of a Seagrave, hose wagon and chemical engine.