"Our people are trained to be able to navigate around these circumstances," Ford said, adding that firefighters quickly found other water sources to put out the flames.

More than 80 firefighters battled the fire Monday afternoon that spread rapidly from rowhouse to rowhouse along the 1600 block of Hazel Street in Curtis Bay. Two people were injured, including a firefighter.

These days the truck continues to "delight the hearts of children of all ages," as Hopkinson likes to say, when it makes its way through the Freedom Festival's Grand Parade and when it's on display for Pioneer Day at North Park.

But when Hopkinson found Old No. 1, the once-shiny red truck was in rough shape.

The two trucks and three fire engines were purchased from Smeal Fire Apparatus Co., a Nebraska-based company, for $2.836 million. A bonding mechanism called Certificates of Participation, or CIPs, were used to finance the equipment and will be repaid with city tax receipts.

The firefighter, who was traveling at normal highway speeds, did an amazing job stopping the truck, Duncan said.

Flames from the engine compartment traveled to the field along the right side of the road. Wind pushed the fire into the median as well.