Usually the first bit one learns about the city is that it burned to the ground near the close of the Revolution in 1781.

The torching was traitor Benedict Arnold's fault of course, and the small colonial fire department was overmatched, but its members did something smart.

“The fire department was able to protect the one apparatus they had,” said Tara Samul, daughter-in-law of the city's fire chief, Ronald Samul. “It was made of wood.”

That story was one of many that drew Samul to write a book about the role the fire department has played in the history of New London.

Published in December by Arcadia Press, “New London Firefighting” is a history in words and pictures of the 225 plus-year existence of the fire department, from a strung-together band of volunteer companies to a professional, unified service.

Samul is donating proceeds from the book to the Dr. Carl Wies Scholarship Fund, which was set up by the firefighters union to award students who excel in community service, if not the classroom.

Samul, a reference librarian at the Otis Library in Norwich, was inspired by the stories her father-in-law told her about the department.

 They were never about the sometimes-harrowing feats asked of firefighters.

“It's mostly about new training and stuff around the firehouse,” she said. “He doesn't talk about the job; it's sort of like a veteran.”

During Samul's childhood in Ledyard, several of her schoolmates' parents were volunteer firefighters.

“They were always coming in for show and tell,” Samul said.

While Samul thought the city's firefighters would be hesitant to have a book written about them, she said she got plenty of help.

“New London Firefighters” chronicles not only some of the great fires in the city's history, but the heroism during the 1938 hurricane.

“They were part of an all able-bodied-men-type of response,” Samul said.

During the storm, a large tree fell, blocking the garage doors of the fire station on Brainard Street, which is now a private residence.

“They had to work to remove the tree before they could get to help others,” Samul said.

The history of the department also had its more colorful figures, such as the legendary William “Fat” Kiely, who was a member of the NLFD in the early 20th century.

And the man was fat, weighing in at close to 600 pounds, making him, according to Samul, one of the heaviest firefighters in the country's history.

“Kiely used to sleep on the running board in firehouse, because he couldn't make it up the stairs,” she said. “When he was firefighting, it was a very different kind of profession.”

In the past, anyone who was a citizen in good standing was a welcomed volunteer, according to Samul.

These days, a person of Kiely's form wouldn't be able to pass the physical requirements of the modern firefighter.

“Most of the firefighters today are in tip-top shape,” Samul said. “Physical fitness is now part of the job.”

Members of the department also spend time studying different types of building materials.

“There are new techniques,” Samul said.

She also noted that though they are often justifiably labeled “heroes,” most firefighters she talked to ignore the term.

“They don't think of themselves that way,” she said. “They're just doing their jobs.” By Stephen Chupaska, Times Staff Writer