Work starts today to refurbish Lazonby Fire Station following a blaze earlier this year.
No one was hurt in the initial fire, believed to be caused by an electrical fault, in February. The fire was extinguished by crew on the scene and no damage was caused to the fire engine.
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, the engine was kept at Bells of Lazonby so the on-call team could continue to work. It returned to the station in early March.
The work, being carried out by Workington-based Stobbarts Ltd over the next six weeks, will repair the areas damaged by the fire and improve accommodation for the local firefighters.
Thermal efficiency to reduce the amount of energy used to heat the station will also be included in the work.
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer, Rick Ogden, said: “It is most welcome that work is now starting to refurbish Lazonby Fire Station, and it has taken a tremendous amount of work to get us to this point.
“I’d like to thank the crew at Lazonby for the resilience and professionalism they have shown in the period since the fire, and we thank the community and Bells of Lazonby for their support and understanding.”
Cumbria’s Police Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen, said: “I’m really pleased to see the work begin to restore and improve Lazonby Fire Station. It’s great to see what was an unfortunate occurrence being turned into an opportunity to improve.
“Our on-call stations are vital to the service to ensure that all emergencies can be attended in a timely manner and keep the public as safe as possible so it’s essential that this work is complete.
“Following the fire, Bells of Lazonby provided us with a space to keep our fire engine while the station was out of commission, allowing our on-call team to continue to provide fire and rescue services to the community.
“I’d like to thank Bells for all their support during this period – it was an incredibly generous offer and we are grateful for it. I would also like to thank the on-call team for their flexibility.”
