In 1956, the Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District merged into Forest Grove Fire Department. Following the May 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens, the city used the department to clean the ash off of city streets. As of 1980, the Rural District covered and paid 39% of the combined entities' costs, though split capital expenditures at 50–50. At that time the combined department had 11 paid and 45 volunteer firefighters.