Fire dept. set to rebuild 1 year after being destroyed by fire
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BRUCETON, Tenn. — It’s been a full year since the Bruceton Fire Department fell victim to a destructive fire that left their building in ruins. Now, firefighters say they’re finally on the fast track to rebuilding. The station was gutted when some faulty equipment caught fire, a big blow to the small community. Now a year later there’s still no new station, but the land is there and the department hasn’t given up hope. “About every time I see someone they ask, ‘So when are you going to start your new fire station?’, Bruceton Fire Chief James Sloan said. “Well, we’re ready!” Sloan looks over the gutted building every day where his fire station once stood. “It seems like it was yesterday,” Sloan said. “But it seems like it’s been a long time too.” It’s been one year since the station caught fire, an alternator in a truck to blame. “Being that it’s a very small community, the only thing that they had was their fire department,” fundraiser organizer Melody Guest said. “They were devastated when it burned.” But the firefighters never stopped serving the community and the community noticed, raising thousands of dollars and even donating land for the new station. “You always get what you give,” Guest said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to give back to the community.” While the department is using their makeshift station behind city hall they’re a bit cramped, not having much room to move around or work. But when their new station is built, they’re going to have more room than ever. “We’ll have room if we ever need to add on to it,” Sloan said. “We can add on a bay if we ever need to.” Progress has been a bit slow, but Sloan said it’s the baby steps that count. “It’s going to be behind us here before long and we’ll be back home — a new home, but still back home,” Sloan said. The department said it expects to put out construction bids for the new station next month. It also will hold a fundraiser car show at Casey’s General Store in Bruceton from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 3 to help raise more money for equipment.
