Officials said it will cost thousands of dollars to repair a historic Augusta fire engine damaged by a burglar last month.
Richmond County sheriff's deputies were called to Old Engine Company No. 7 on Nov. 2 and Nov. 19 after someone broke in and stole items. The fire station at 2163 Central Ave. was built in 1914 and was the first in Augusta to house motorized trucks.
The last crew moved out of the building in 2003, but since then fire officials have been working to make the building a fire museum. The location housed local firefighting memorabilia including a 1924 American La France fire engine. In the Nov. 2 burglary, a front door was broken and a projector screen and generator battery were reported missing.
The damage from the next burglary on Nov. 19 was much worse. According to the police report, the suspect kicked in the front door and used a 36-inch metal pry bar to remove items from fire engine, damaging the engine's exterior.
According to fire department spokeswoman Dee Griffin, the burglar stole brass items from the engine including caps, adapters, a 35-lb. drum of nozzles, and also damaged wood boards on the fire engine. Other stolen items include a fireman's ax, bread and bacon.
She estimated it would cost about $5,000 to replace the stolen items. The damaged boards will also have be repaired or replaced.
On Nov. 23, Anthony Amos Garrett, 54, of the 2000 block of Central Avenue, was charged with two counts of burglary in the second degree for both break-ins.
"It's pretty bad," Griffin said of the damages. "The trucks sit there and they're a reminder of the past. It's a source of pride for our firefighters."
Griffin said the 1924 engine had been in various places around the city before coming back to the fire department in 2005.
At that time the fire department disassembled the engine and refurbished it. "Now they have to start all over," she said.
Reach Bianca Cain Johnson at (706) 823-3486 or [email protected]
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