In towns like Boston, fire buckets could be found in the majority of houses and businesses. When fire engines were not available, buckets of water were thrown directly onto burning structures. But because early fire engines had a limited water capacity and there was no town-wide plumbing infrastructure to allow immediate access to additional water, long lines of people passing buckets was the principal means of keeping engines supplied. By 1715, the town had six engines ready to serve the community. As early as 1653, the Town of Boston had its first fire engine. In 1712, the town began establishing fire wards, men whose duty it was to patrol the streets at night on the lookout for fires and to sound an alarm when a blaze was spotted. In towns, fire in densely populated neighborhoods could quickly result in the destruction of dozens of buildings.Д«etween 16 Boston experienced at least six major fires that destroyed well over 200 buildings. A single stand-alone house could be consumed in minutes. The risk for catastrophe from fire was great.

They represent a time long before most towns had established and well-equipped fire departments ready to respond at a momentвЂ™s notice to a house or shop fire, when people relied on their neighbors to come to their aid. Fire buckets have been popular with collectors and owners of period homes for a long time.