In the early days of Immokalee, a fire was usually a complete disaster to whatever it struck, be it
home business, barn, packing house or whatever. The nearest available fire departments were
located in LaBelle, twenty-five miles to the north, and Fort Myers, thirty-five miles to the west.
In the first part of 1950, some Immokalee men; Lonnie Curry, Fred Edentielo, Joe Brown, and
several others, flew over to Belle Glade, where they met with a fire marshal to obtain
information on acquiring fire protection equipment for Immokalee, and how to form a fire
department. Some short while later, formation of the fire department was discussed at a Lions
Club meeting. Donations were pledged throughout town to assist in purchasing equipment and
interest built up, but soon faded as no monies materialized and no action was achieved.
