Santa Rosa’s Fire Station 5, lost during 2017’s Tubbs Fire, will now rise again thanks to a boost of $34 million in funding from Congress.
The station services one of the areas most impacted by the devastating wildfire.
The signs of renewal are all around. Almost four years after flames ripped through this Fountain Grove neighborhood. Congressman Mike Thompson remembered the stark scene in the aftermath of the Tubbs Fire.
"Everything was gone," he told KCBS Radio. "All the houses were burned down. There was just a terrible, terrible situation."
Houses are still under construction. Many have been rebuilt and soon the area’s fire station will also have a new home.
"Really this effort has been going on since the day we got the fire put out," said Santa Rosa Fire Chief Scott Westrope. "We knew we were going to have to rebuild this fire station. We knew there was going to be a cost associated with it that was not planned for."
The station won’t be built at the same site.
Westrope said the new location, which is only a few blocks away, will improve response times and allow for better fire protection. "It’s heartbreaking it’s taken this long to get a lot of these houses rebuilt. We’re so glad to see this community is resounding and resilient and rebounding like they are," he added.
Crews aren’t breaking ground just yet.
The project still requires further approval and planning.
The Tubbs Fire killed 22 people, destroyed 5,600 structures and burned more than 36,800 acres.
Related
