Near the Sokolniki metro station, you can see an unusual building for our time, a fire tower made of red brick, which now serves only as a reminder of the past. The construction of such towers began after the decree of Alexander I in 1804. In August 1863, the city council supported the proposal of local residents to build a fire station. Funds for the construction were collected by the townspeople over 18 years and amounted to 20,000 rubles. The design competition was won by architect M.K. Geppener, who studied in Germany.

The tower was built over four years, from 1881 to 1884, and was one of the tallest buildings in Moscow at that time. It offered a view of the entire surroundings. The Sokolniki tower became the second after the Sukharevskaya. The fire-watchers, who were on duty around the clock, could quickly determine the location and scale of a fire and report it to neighboring stations. The duty team would gather in two to three minutes, prepare the harness, and head to the scene. Firefighters lived right at the station and earned 7 kopecks a day. They had 30 horses, 2 barrels, and other equipment for extinguishing fires at their disposal. In 1910, the station received a steam engine. V. Gilyarovsky's book describes the fire alert system: the duty officer would hang balls during the day and lanterns at night to indicate the fire's location and ring a bell. A red flag or lantern meant 'all units assemble, fire threatening.' This system operated until the 1917 revolution and for some time after, despite the advent of telephone communication.

The construction of towers continued until the 1930s, after which it ceased due to the emergence of high-rise buildings. In 1999, the tower was renovated and is one of the best-preserved fire station buildings of that time. The balls warning of fire have been restored on the tower's spire.

Currently, it houses the Administration of the Main Fire Service of the Eastern Administrative District and Fire Station No. 12.