The Guardian stands ready by Firehouse 35 at Pier 22 ½ under the 25,0000 brilliant sparkling and ever changing LED display of the Bay Lights celebration of San Francisco’s famous Bay Bridge. The Guardian fireboat was donated to the city of San Francisco following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and resulting fires of 1989. The Guardian can pump 26,000 gallons of water per minute making her the most powerful fireboat in the world. She became a fixture of San Francisco when the aging Phoenix nearly single handedly saved the Marina district. You can just make out the Pheonix’s water canon rising above the SFFD building.

The twinkling lights of the Bay Bridge sparkle above the two boats every night in celebration of the completion of the Bay Bridge 75 years ago. Simply called Bay Lights, the fantastic display of lights will adorn the Bay Bridge for the next two years from dusk till 2AM each night. A twinkling and sparkling pattern changes constantly in streaming and chasing patterns of circles, waves and clouds. The orange light is the glow of the Bay Area’s historic Port of Oakland which is busy unloading ships day and night. The fog was just high enough to create a wonderful orange red glow in the sky behind the bridge and famous fireboats. The scene can be seen from the Embarcadero just South and East of the Port of San Francisco at the very end of Market Street. If you can resist the irresistible smell of several of San Francisco’s finest restaurants just behind you, you might even be able to get a good picture but it won’t be easy if you are hungry.