LAFD Engine Co. 39

City of Los Angeles Fire Department Engine Co. 39 on Sylvan Street in Van Nuys was LAFD’s oldest operating station until firefighters moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility in 2019. Originally built in 1919, a Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (PAW) project produced the existing 14,000 square foot station in its place in 1939. In an obvious nod to the art deco Valley Municipal Building, built in 1931, across the street, the facade blends neoclassical columns with zig-zag ornamentation. From the start, it was a busy station. During its dedication on July 29, 1939, fire wagons screamed out of the building three times to put out flames, according to an account in the Los Angeles Times. Too small to house the additional resources needed to meet present and future demands for fire protection services, it is now empty awaiting a new purpose.