Livermore city feature
About this landmark
The Centennial Light, burning since 1901, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-burning light bulb.
The Centennial Light, a carbon-filament light bulb, has been burning in Fire Station #6 at 4550 East Avenue since 1901. Originally a 60-watt bulb produced by the Shelby Electric Company of Shelby, Ohio, in the late 1890s, it now emits approximately 4 watts. The bulb's design is credited to French scientist Adolphe A. Chaillet.
A century of continuous operation
The bulb was first illuminated in 1901 and left burning 24 hours a day to provide night illumination for fire engines. It was relocated several times: from a hose cart house on L Street to a downtown garage shared by fire and police departments, and finally to Fire Station #6 in 1976 with a firetruck escort, with power off for only 22 minutes during the move. Since 1976, the bulb has run continuously on an uninterruptible power supply. One notable outage occurred May 20–21, 2013, lasting 9 hours 45 minutes, caused by a faulty dedicated power supply.
The bulb has received widespread recognition. Guinness World Records official record shows it was first recognized in 1972 as the most durable light, replacing the Palace Theater Light of Fort Worth, Texas. It remained in the record book for 16 editions, was omitted from 1988–2006, then returned in 2007. The bulb is also recognized by Ripley's and General Electric, and has been featured on television including with journalist Charles Kuralt. Presidential and congressional declarations are displayed below the bulb at the fire station.
The future of an icon
Fire Station #6, constructed in 1976, is described as the oldest operating fire station in Livermore. The City is planning to demolish and rebuild the station: the new main station will be 13,000 square feet plus a 2,600-square-foot vehicle building, with on-duty staffing increasing from 4 to 5 personnel. The rebuild is set to begin August 2027.
Throughout the phased project, fire services will continue on-site. The bulb will be temporarily moved to the reserve apparatus building for roughly 15–16 months once demolition begins and will be unavailable for public viewing during that time, with a live camera stream as substitute.
Insurance connection: Home fire insurance
Coverage A (Dwelling) is the foundation of California homeowners policies, protecting houses and attached structures. Insurers must offer earthquake coverage for an additional premium, since earthquake damage is normally excluded from standard policies. The FAIR Plan provides a standard fire insurance policy for high-risk properties, though it lacks liability and burglary coverage. After recent wildfires, many homes were underinsured due to inadequate insurance-to-value. Policyholders should verify whether replacement-cost policies include building-code upgrade coverage, since cities change codes and insurers may decline to pay code-compliance costs. Coverage and eligibility depend on individual policy. The issued policy controls.
Primary sources: Guinness World Records official record, Wikipedia Centennial Light article, and Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Foundation page.
Insurance context is general information only. The issued policy and its endorsements settle coverage.