Fire station damaged in flooding to be demolished

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A fire station hanging on its last leg is set to be demolished after a vote by Kanawha County commissioners Thursday.

For Greg Long, it’s hard to see it go.

“It’s full of mud, footer’s broke,” he said. “It’s just not feasible to fix right now.”

Long lives just down the road from the Chesapeake Volunteer Fire Department Winifred Station. He said nearly 30 years he helped build it.

Long hopes people realize the impact the station has made in its life.

“There are several houses up this holler we’ve saved because of that substation,” he said.

Kanawha County Commissioner Lance Wheeler said their unanimous vote to demolish the structure came after learning the building is structurally compromised.

However, Wheeler said they’re not forgetting the station’s importance to the community.

“These fire stations are important because this is life and death,” Wheeler said. “When it comes to a call, seconds matter.”

Even without the Winifred station, the Chesapeake Volunteer Fire Department will still respond to calls in the area as it falls under their jurisdiction.

Wheeler said he’s hopeful the station will be torn down in the next month.

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