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A 102-year-old Orange County woman came across her mechanical match this week.
Lois Roofer, 102 and a half years of her number, made a ritual ride at Huntington Beach’s first electric fire truck, the 1922 Sea Grave, on Thursday after the family arranged a visit with the fire department. Two 100 people shared a spin around a central net training facility, which called for a rare and fun meeting in history where firefighters live.
“They wanted to know if I could ride it, but I said, ‘I thought I was driving it,'” Roofer joked. She didn’t take the wheels, but she rang the engine bell, used a hand crank horn from one of the two seats, and sparkled as the fire truck turned the lot.
Roofer learned about vintage vehicles from a registered article and mentioned it to her family. She is known for her humor and independence in the Fountain Valley community – she bowled in the league for decades and held a valid driver’s license until last year.
A 102-year-old Orange County woman can be seen riding a 102-year-old fire truck. (Huntington Beach Fire Station) A 102-year-old Orange County woman can be seen in a 102-year-old fire truck. (Huntington Beach Fire Station) Royce Roofer (currently 102) can be seen in this undated photo provided by the Huntington Beach Fire Station. Lois Roofer, now 102, can be seen in this undated photo provided by the Huntington Beach Fire Department. A 102-year-old Orange County woman is riding a 102-year-old fire truck. (Huntington Beach Fire Station)
The 1922 Seagrave, a pride in Huntington Beach’s early firefighters, was bought for $14,500 at the time, and was a huge sum at the time, well below the $1.3 million of today’s latest engine. According to city officials, Seagrave is one of the first electric fire equipment to date and marks a transition from horse-drawn carriages.
“The vintage ocean grave carried no water of its own and instead relied on a 30-gallon chemical tank filled with now-known fire suppressants,” the Huntington Beach Fire Department explained in a release. “In comparison, today’s engines carry 500 gallons of water, thousands of feet of hose, and powerful pumps per minute of 1,500 gallons.”
Seagrave in 1922 served Huntington Beach until 1966, and was later donated to the Travel Town Museum in LA. He returned to Japan in 2002 thanks to a forklift trade arranged by the former fire chief, and in 2007 the Huntington Beach Firefighters Association began restoration of a 15-year, $100,000 dollar restoration, fully funded by community contributions.
The 1922 Seagrave Fire Truck is seen in this undated photo provided by the Huntington Beach Fire Department. The 1922 Sea Grave Fire Truck is seen in this undated photo provided by the Huntington Beach Fire Department.
“There’s this old story about when the Marines were shipped out from Columbus, Ohio, they were pulled from a train to fight a big brush fire in San Bernardino County,” said HBFD Captain Rex Lysewik, who led the restoration. “When the fires started, they backed them up and delivered them to local agents. I’m not sure if that happened to ours, but it’s a great legend that adds to the character of the engine.”
One of the most impressive discoveries came during the process. Firefighters sanded the hood and revealed an original hand-painted mural of the ship and lighthouse hidden beneath a layer of paint. Now called “The Hib” in honor of the fire chief of the 1920s, the restored engine is appointed and on display at the association’s office.
“look [Rufer] Mr. Rysewyk was delighted and I am very pleased to me that he has these two historians on each other.
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