Pooling their funds, they purchased a 1940 Ford fire truck, which was housed in a remodeled chicken coop on the summit of Woodinville Duvall Road and 160th Avenue NE. Thus the aptly named Summit Fire Department was formed and became Woodinville’s first fire department.

In 1948, a special election was held to formally establish the King County Fire Protection District No. 36 (KCFPD36). On August 23, 1948, the newly created Board of Fire Commissioners formally recognized the measure’s successful passage with 65% support, and KCFPD36 was officially formed.

In 1992, KCFPD36 merged with King County Fire Protection District 42. This expanded the response area to include part of downtown Woodinville. That same year, the Board of Fire Commissioners voted to officially change the name from KCFPD36 to Woodinville Fire & Life Safety District (WFLSD). Meanwhile, the City of Woodinville became incorporated and, in March 1993, was annexed into WFLSD.

In 2010, the Board of Fire Commissioners voted to change the name to Woodinville Fire & Rescue. On July 15, 2021, WFR’s Board of Directors voted to approve a contract for fire suppression and emergency medical services with Eastside Fire & Rescue (WF&R), whose Board of Fire Commissioners had been exploring partnership in the region. The ten-year agreement went into effect October 1, 2021. All WF&R stations will remain open and fully staffed, and WF&R will continue to be a Fire District with locally elected Fire Commissioners and ownership over capital assets.
The contract for services will bring organizational efficiencies and operational cost savings as a result of elimination of redundancies and reduced overhead costs.