Fire station demolished

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — The Myrtle Springs Volunteer Fire Department demolished their aging fire station building on Saturday, citing serious safety problems and a lack of funding for renovations. According to our news partner KETK, the department currently covers 3000 residents living within the 30 mile-wide Myrtle Springs area of Van Zandt County. Their fire station building has endured many problems like mold, rot, rodent infestations, unsafe structural conditions and unsafe electrical conditions.

The building is located beneath the grade of the nearby County Road 3447, meaning it also frequently flooded. It also lacked insulation which exposed their water pumps to freeze damage during the winter. Recently, the department said they had a wiring failure that almost started a catastrophic fire, which would have seriously damaged their trucks and equipment.

The demolished building had been in use since 1963 when the department first started. Officials said this decision was not made lightly but they ultimately had to demolish the structure, given that they had no funding to renovate or improve it.

“While we recognize that this decision will change the landscape of Myrtle Springs, we want the community to know that we will always honor the service history of this building and the dedicated individuals who came before us. This decision was not made lightly; we carefully considered our options, particularly given the ongoing lack of funding and grants for renovations or improvements. It is baffling that some wish to criticize our decision while having never contributed financially or made any effort to help save the fire department. For years, we have pleaded for support, only to receive little to none from the community.”

The Myrtle Springs Volunteer Fire Department