It has been 150 years since the citizens of North San Juan formed an all-volunteer fire department to help protect their community. Today, the North San Juan Fire Protection District remains one of the few fire departments in Nevada County that functions with an almost completely volunteer staff. The district covers the largest territory in the county at 70-plus square miles. The Fireman’s Muster and Community Carnival included a barbecue and live music, as well as North San Juan’s volunteers challenging other local fire departments in friendly firefighting related games. All department volunteers past and present were recognized in a …