Galveston Burning: A History of the Fire Department and Major Conflagrations - Hardcoverby James F. Anderson (Author), Mike Wisko (Foreword by) Since 1821, when Jean Lafitte sailed away from a burning Campeche, the history of Galveston has often been wreathed in smoke. Over the next century, one inferno breached the walls of Moro Castle, while another reduced forty two blocks of the residential district to ash. Recognizing the importance of protecting the city, concerted efforts were made to establish the first paid fire department,