In Solano County, the Cordelia Fire Department has a couple of trucks that are showing their age. “My thirteen year-old engine has got 120,000 miles on it. The other one has got a little over 100,000 miles,” lamented Fire Chief Jay Huyssoon.

Huyssoon explained that his budget simply doesn't afford him the luxury of buying new fire trucks. Why? The same reason people are driving less and are moving away from gas guzzlers. “Fuel for us has more than doubled since last year, and when our budget only goes up 3% and we have things like fuel that go up, it impacts everything.”

Huyssoon said taxpayers have been more than generous, but as an independent special district, there's no county, state or federal support. “We’ve had to live on our own and basically we’re trying to do a whole lot more with a whole lot less.”

Emergency calls are being answered, but when engines burn fuel for home inspections and training exercises costs are burning a hole in the volunteer fire departments budget.

KCBS' George Harris reports