I can still remember the xmas when I got this set for a present. My first big set, this is one of the models that started off my lego obsession - ah what great memory's. I had hours of fun with this one and I never looked back!

You say "LEGO", and this is the image that pops up in my head, most probably.

I spent all my birthday money from one year in order to get this, and I think this was the first "big" kit I ever bought for my own money. I have no idea when this could've been, most probably in 1986.

Two vehicles, a control room of sorts upstairs, and a tower so fire hoses could be hung to dry, this was the real deal indeed.

Growing up in the 80's I was lucky to have been a LEGO fan. The sets were and still are great. This fire house set is definitely one of them. On the plus side, there are two working/rolling garage doors, many clear windows, a working ladder, two fire vehicles and a two story building. The baseplate is great as are the minifigs. On the down side, I don't care for a red and blue firehouse. Why did LEGO include blue accent pieces such as doors, window frames and garage slats? Why not use black window frames, doors and garage slats? Or yellow? Anything but blue! LEGO should have included at least 1 more firefighter minifig to drive the ladder truck while the other firefighter is readying the ladder for firefighting. I am so glad to still have this set and enjoyed building it as an adult.

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Here is the fire station next generation, if you will, for the 1980's. The emergency service station sets of this decade always seemed technically advanced and ahead of their time to a child when comparing to my local police and fire station anyhow... only in Denmark? Well worth a look, this is the big subtheme set for its time and brought a splash of colour to the town landscape. Owned by my sibling, it also balanced the police force I was guilty of over populating.

Minifigures:

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• Secretary minifigure.

The same brass buttoned, black uniformed firemen with a white helmets get the essential oxygen tanks (also handy in Space!) while a diligent secretary and emergency service call operator improves diversity ten fold in a white striped tank top with medium long brown hair. As with the previous fire station incarnation the staff role is filled by a female MF (go figure). It makes sense for uniformed staff to make less interesting MFs and so the brigade just needed one different hat and top to mix it up a bit.

HQ Engines

Only three people? It must all be about the double garaged monster of a building, and what a building but first the vehicles.

This happy build starts with a small truck or pick up for a chief if you like. A plate thickened ten stud black chassis is something I think many kids did to their custom cars. The doors finally get printed fire symbols rather than stickers. A flat front sits between honest square headlights and the windscreen joins a hinged truck rear window to hold the roof. Square blue lights look excellent on white offset stud plates on top while standard wheels are used underneath. Gear contained is a white extinguisher, two strange black water or oxygen tanks or pumps (an early use of five stud bricks, these are very useful). The model is complete with just the addition of, oh dear, a beautiful if doomed red and white, diagonally striped sticker. Both vehicles receive this badge but the chassis will have to remain intact or its probably the end for those thin strips.

The trusty fire engine is next using two small chassis joined to make a long vehicle again double thickness via black plates. Black clips hold an axe and CB radio. The single classic eight stud brick brings strength. A turntable sits at the back, rubber piping goes across the middle, while the front grill, more a black stripe or section between red, gets standard lights. It looks better once the large bus window is put on top. The turntable gets a hose block (yep, black string), a giant hinge and two grey ladders that slide together. A jiggery pokery buttoned panel must function all the kit. The finishing middle to rear slant is fine but the standard hinged roof with double blue square lights lack the white separation. Large chunky wheels complete it but the cab feels a little open and large for one fireman.

The Red Brick

The large grey baseplate features interesting green line divisions from the entrance backwards. A multi chevron area is in white alerting to a people safe area. Bumpy areas of studs are left for the build of course.

The obvious colour should be briefly mentioned as while not preferable to the likes of me, the red brick has its iconic place in any Lego landscape. I enjoy seeing it on vehicles, ships and trains among many things but rarely buildings this large. While the garage doors would have looked suitably great for the service in solid red on a grey or yellow building, I'm ignoring such preferences for a fairer review so yes, there are stacks of red bricks here.

Slotted bricks begin immediately from the ground up, essential for accommodating those garage doors to slide to ground level. Four sections of wall build in parallel, incorporating blue framed, white blinded windows, clip held axe and extinguisher and a blue door too before the next level begins. Plenty of plates separate a floor evenly here with a contrasting white chair alternative to the usual yellow. Side walls get blue grate sections and get even higher. A white doored cupboard placed downstairs for gear and clothes no doubt is a good feature but you could never stuff much in these.

Its a shame that the office builds inwards here as the bricks build from one stud inside its original dimensions to reduce space yet its all part of an interesting design. It was funny at this point in the instructions how the minifigure is pictured sitting at the white desk while the building goes up around it. Did they always do this? Secretary gets two white dial telephones, a slanted white computer and a slanted control panel! I was always a sucker for a new telephone.

The indispensable garage door girders go on with the long slot aligning up for the doors to run. The ten piece segmented doors have nine clear and one coloured with a handle in blue. This inspired and attractive industrial shutter was a repeated success throughout several sets.

The first roof's inventive sloped skylights are thankfully not tinted. The office has two more blinded windows added, tall slopes and the two super modern inverted tinted windows that jut out from the building. Meanwhile the tower grows behind this with sets of double white ladders forming a kind of grate windows, easily climbed. A rubber piping length inside makes a rope or pole via clips.

The main building's crown is white aerials and a siren block. The tower gets a neat slant top to what is a great rescue practice feature. Flowers adorn the front entrance but without fuller beds don't remove the feeling of an asphalt/ tarmac/ concrete environment. The last breath holding moment is adding that damn fire brigade sticker to the front of the building, trying to get it central and straight.

Alternative Building

The alternative builds as usual are not much to shout about but include a large, clunky and fun helicopter.

Playing With Fire

It has stacks of playability and makes a sound town centrepiece if you need another. A few minor flaws stand out through inconsistency such as blue light designs, roof shape and window 'glass' colour. Had the tower continued through the roof inside, a long climb and pole drop is possible for the set but its from more basic days and all sections meet fundamentals.

If not the best Town set around its definitely a great fire station. Preference will lead some to make an alternative choice (its not for me) but similar sets missed its features; the tower and one of the best control rooms out there or at least the best equipped. Open backed buildings are an old set feature, trying to build 'back walls' for them could prove costly and complicated if not a little OCD.

When there isn't a fire, fireman are supposed to polish, test and practice in the station. When kids get bored, the devil makes work for idle hands. Expect this set to be broken up if its not made good use of with children so its probably better kept by older landscapers. Really very decent and fondly remembered.

I just got this off Ebay and I am pleased but not overly so.
The set is basically an updated version of the 6382 which I also own and it is better and worse in some respects.
First, the good - neat design with the new tower over one of the garages. That is nice - also the control center in the middle of station is nice with blue glass windows.
Next, the average stuff - the trucks are just okay as is the baseplate. The rest of the design is just the same as the 6382 except changing the windows out for blue fences on top.
Finally, the not so good - only three minifigs - and only two fire-fighters. The inside of the station is basically empty and for some reason there is a black hose inside the tower that doesn't really do anything.
So add it all up and I give it four stars. If you don't yet have a fire station I would get this one, and would put this one right after the 6382 and close to the 6389.