Prior to the MFB acquiring its first purpose made fireboat, a tug would tow a fire float (containing a steam fire pump) to the scene of riverside blazes and fires on ships on the Thames. The two craft would travel side by side. These composite craft were introduced in 1877 and used until 1900 when they were finally replaced by fireboats. The fire float, with its fire pump, could supply water to the land via hoses or direct water onto a blaze from jets mounted on the barge.