In 1941 the then existing Inverness Town Council Fire Brigade was nationalised.

The National Fire Service was organised into 11 regions, Scotland being the eleventh.  Area Training Schools were set up and men given tuition in Fire Service Work.  In addition, equipment throughout the Fire Service was standardised.

After the war, the Government introduced the Fire Services Act in 1947, which brought about a major change within the Fire Service as a whole.  Its primary functions were to make provision for Fire Services in Great Britain and to transfer firefighting functions from the National Fire Service to Fire Brigades maintained by councils of counties and county burghs.

With the introduction of the Fire Services Act in 1947, Fire Brigades in Scotland were arranged in 11 areas, one of which was named the Northern Area Fire Brigade.

The Brigade covered the counties of Caithness, Sutherland, Ross & Cromarty, Inverness, Orkney, Shetland and the burgh of Inverness.
 

In 1975 when local government was reorganised, the Brigade was renamed the Northern Fire Brigade, and provided a service to the Highland Region, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and the Western Isles.

In February 1983, the Northern Fire Board had the Brigade name changed to the Highland and Islands Fire Brigade, as it was felt that the existing name did not have any significance to the area that it covered.

Prior to Regional re-organisation on 16 May 1975, there were 11 Brigades in Scotland, but now there are only 8 Brigades.