Fire protection in Paris dates to the early 1870s, when a group of businessmen led by Willet Babcock organized a volunteer fire company. Known as Phoenix Fire Company No. 1, the volunteer unit continued in operation until the city created a paid fire department in 1908. Operating from facilities at this site since 1884, the fire department has exhibited exemplary service in a number of disastrous fires, most notably the great fire of March 2,1 1916, which killed three people, destroyed 1,400 buildings, and caused millions of dollars' worth of property damage.