Fire has always held a certain fascination in the collective unconscious of mankind.

From the symbolism in the spark of life to Prometheus stealing fire from Mount Olympus to bring light to mankind to the modern day heroes who risk life and limb day in and day out to protect others, there is something about fire that speaks to some part of all of us.

It is this idea that the Cayuga Museum has sought to capture in its latest exhibit, “Heroic Measures: Fire Fighting in Cayuga County,” which opened Friday, May 22 and will run through Aug. 23.

Eileen McHugh, executive director of the museum, said that this was an exhibit that had been years in planning.

“We try to plan our exhibits several years out,” McHugh said. “And we had been talking about doing something with this idea for several years. Our curator, Lauren Chyle, was instrumental in getting this exhibit together. Fire and firefighting have been a big part of the history of Cayuga County and that is what we hope to show with this exhibit.”

McHugh said that once a plan was in place for the exhibit, it remained in the works for nearly two years while the museum staff collected numerous pieces from the fire houses that serve Cayuga County.

Joining Auburn, the only paid department in the county, McHugh said, have been 28 other volunteer-based departments, all of which have their own unique and interesting histories to convey.

The museum has worked tirelessly to bring at least a piece of the stories of each of these departments to the exhibit, which accounts for the length of time it has taken to get the exhibit together.

“There are a lot of departments,” McHugh said. “We contacted all of them and got pieces of memorabilia from all of them. We have filled six galleries here with pieces from each of these fire houses, telling their story and the story of the people who served in them.”

The exhibit is truly a tour through the history of firefighting from the 1800s to the present day. Through numerous pictures and pieces of equipment, the museum has assembled a collection that looks at how firefighting evolved.

“We have a little bit of everything,” McHugh said. “We have a hand-pulled engine. It was actually pulled to the fire by hand and pumped by hand. We go through all three eras of firefighting. From things being pulled by men, the horse-drawn era and the modern, motorized era. We are really looking at the whole evolution of the technology of firefighting.”

But this applies to more than just the larger equipment - it also goes for the equipment those brave enough to go into the fire have used. This is equipment that has come a long way, from overcoats and leather helmets to the heavy modern turnout gear and breathing apparatuses firefighters now take with them everywhere they go.

This has allowed the museum to create a very family friendly, interactive exhibit - one that McHugh hopes will help give visitors a perspective on what it takes to be a firefighter.

“We have a full suit of turnout gear,” McHugh said. “There is a lot children can touch and look at up close and try on if they want to. But this stuff they wear is really heavy. I don't know how they do it. I hope that this exhibit helps people see up close just what firefighters have to do and maybe leave here with a better understanding of what they do and what they go through in their job.”

While creating the exhibit, McHugh found several interesting features that have added something special to the exhibit. Included in the show is the uniform of Charles Hardy, the first black firefighter in Auburn, as well as pictures and news clippings detailing fires that have had a great impact on Auburn and the whole county.

McHugh pointed one fire in particular that shaped the face of Auburn.

“In 1837, most of downtown Auburn burnt down,” McHugh said. “After that, it was decided that downtown would be rebuilt in brick because it would be less likely to burn. So in a way the history of Auburn was shaped by fire.”

This is an exhibit that McHugh truly believes speaks to everyone.

“You can look at all these pictures we have of fires,” McHugh said. “In the pictures, there is always a crowd of people watching. There is something about fire that we are all attracted to. We want this to be an exhibit that shows the history of that in Cayuga County and one that helps people better understand what firefighters go through to help protect the rest of us from fire.”

If you go

What: “Heroic Measures: Fire Fighting in Cayuga County”

When: Open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays through Aug. 23

Where: Cayuga Museum of History and Art, 203 Genesee St., Auburn

Cost: Free

Info: Visit www.cayuganet.org or call 253-8051