>Worst case the city (or whomever the firefighters worked for) should have sent a bill for the $75 fee AFTER putting out the fire - put a lien on the house if needed.

The previous city I lived in had a "Paramedic Subscription" for like $9/month.
If you did not pay, you would get billed for service at full cost for the trip, AND the cost of maintaining the department.

I got a bill for $376 for a thoroughly uncomplicated visit - the guys questioned me how I was feeling and walked me to their van for a ride to the hospital for a false alarm. I am not sure if the ambulance ride would have been covered in the $9 - the ambulance ride cost almost another $1000 for cash customers like me.

I agree - they should have put out the fire and billed him for the cost.

The "real" cost for a fire department would include all the training and standby time for the men and equipment, and insurance etc.
The bill would have been far more than $75 - more like several thousands of dollars.

Hospitals let uninsured people make payments all the time.
And hospitals have no collateral at all.
The fire department could easily get a lien on the home for any unpaid balance to insure payment.

That fire department needs to fire the knuckleheads who can't figure out how to serve the public in a compassionate and cost effective way.