A mold issue has forced a Randolph County fire department to relocate, with their new home only 50 yards away.
The Pocahontas Fire Department has seen several floods in their facility over the years, which caused mold growth inside.
The previous Fire Station 2 was small and added stress to the department. Fire Marshal Scott Baltz says it’s a good thing they got to relocate.
“The other building was built too low,” he says. “It needed to be about three feet higher. Back in ’86, we didn’t have those problems, but we seem to have them now.”
They’re now renting out Black River Technical College’s aviation shop that’s no longer being used.
The spacious shop allows PFD to store all their equipment, including their ladder truck that the previous building had difficulty storing.
They’ve added two bay doors to their new building and plan on adding a paved road directly to the highway.