VIDEO: The Eau Claire Fire Department recently made a historical discovery that is giving insight into firefighters' jobs from more than a century ago.
The department found old documents two weeks ago when they were cleaning out Fire Station 10. The paperwork included former call logs, investigation reports and photos from the 1900's.
Deputy Fire chief Robert Haller said examining the data gives the department a unique perspective on how the profession has changed over the decades.
He said the improvements are noticed through multiple factors including the improvement of fire safety knowledge, building inspections, modern construction methods, and firefighting strategies.
"Probably the biggest change is the difference we've seen in the amount of fires that we have in the city. If you look back at what the underwriters were putting back, there was like 900 fires one year in the city in the early 1900's," he said.