An official grand opening and dedication for the Ionia Volunteer Fire Co.’s new fire station — constructed to replace the original building destroyed by a 2015 fire — is planned for July 28, the third anniversary of the blaze.
The Ionia Volunteer Fire Co. was organized in 1954, with the original two-bay building built in 1955. An addition was added in 1977, doubling the size of the building and adding two more bays. The original building was built entirely by the members.
As the years passed and apparatus changed, it was difficult to find new trucks that would fit into the old building because of the height of the doors. The fire company grew, and was increasingly cramped in the old building.
At 3:15 a.m. on July 28, 2015, the fire company was dispatched for an automatic alarm at the station. The first-arriving members found smoke coming from the attic vent at the front of the building.