The town with the most Fire Stations is Guantalolopea, in Venezuela, which has 17 stations within its 5 mile square borders, due to an article in the town charter demanding that a new station be built every 11 years. Mayor Hector Valzabamor said, “The last time we tried to change the article in the charter, it resulted in three houses falling into the river. Some say it was the hurricane, but we decided it was safer to keep building stations.” The record was previously held by Slopjke, a town in Croatia, which had 21 stations all on one block. However, 5 were destroyed when a Fire Engine exploded in its bay in 2001, due to a portable toaster being left plugged into the cigarette lighter on the dashboard for 17 hours.
copyright © 2008 James Mathurin
