Texas Firefighters Work to Rebuild Burned Fire Station

Feb. 09--LINN-SAN MANUEL -- The two dozen firefighters who act as the first line of defense for this rural community have rebuilt in pieces since the December fire that destroyed their makeshift station.

In place of the closed gas station that served as their home for 30 years, the volunteer fire department moved into the tiny post office next door. Two retired fire trucks donated by other departments have replaced the one destroyed in the fire that swept through the station on Dec. 10.

Volunteers now store their firefighting gear and excess equipment in a boxcar placed on ranchland that also houses the barn that provides some shade for the department's vehicles.

And now the fire that destroyed the department's sole station has sparked a renewed push to build the community's long-term vision for an emergency services complex.

Several organizations -- including the county's Precinct 4 offices and the Linn-San Manuel Community Improvement Corp., which sponsors its annual charitable cook-off -- are pooling money to build the emergency services complex by the end of this year. Located on about 2 acres of land donated by the Flores family, which owns the city's chorizo factory, the emergency services complex will house offices and equipment for the fire department, emergency medical responders and law enforcement officers.

Plans for the complex came together quickly after the fire, showing the value the tight-knit Linn-San Manuel community places on its fire department, said Chief Domingo Hinojosa, who proudly points out that its services were never interrupted by the fire.

"At first, it was very devastating at having to put out our own fire. We felt helpless," Hinojosa said last week on a tour of the charred ruins of the fire station. "But we're still strong and moving forward. We're more united than ever before."

Linn-San Manuel had been working for years toward building a new fire station even before the old one burned down. As more residents moved toward the community, the volunteer fire department slowly outgrew the 60-year-old gas station retrofitted to serve as its home.

But Precinct 4 Commissioner Joseph Palacios said December's fire expedited the project's timeline. Palacios, who hosted a meeting last week to hammer out plans for the emergency services complex, said his office will contribute about $500,000 from county and federal government funds toward the building, which will be owned by the county.

Precinct 4's emergency services district -- a taxing entity that pays for fire and medical responses in the rural area -- has pledged about $250,000. An additional $300,000 will come from the volunteer fire department's own accounts and money raised by the Linn-San Manuel Community Improvement Corp.

Estimates put the project's total cost in the neighborhood of $1 million.

"They've been talking about building a real fire station for so long, but it's always been just the fire department or the local community," Palacios said. "We wanted to work alongside all of these entities to provide a sense of security for our residents who live in the San Manuel area."

Those services are more important as development creeps toward Linn-San Manuel, a ranching community that attracts some families looking to escape city life.

The Texas Department of Transportation is upgrading U.S. 281 to expressway standards all the way to Farm-to-Market Road 490, just miles away from the community. As the county's northern-most fire department, Linn-San Manuel is the first responder to auto wrecks and brush fires that occur along U.S. 281 and surrounding rural areas.

With more than 200 calls for service annually, the fire department deserves a station that fits their growing needs for space to house their equipment and conduct weekly meetings, said Aaron Vela, an Edinburg attorney and board member for the Precinct 4 emergency services district. But his district also wants to incorporate an ambulance bay into the emergency services complex to quickly respond to medical emergencies.

"You'll have a quicker response time when you have an ambulance ready to go as opposed to having to wait at least 30 minutes before you can get anyone to the scene of an accident," said Vela, whose family has long-standing ties to Linn-San Manuel. "It could make the difference between life or death for someone."

The emergency services complex will be located on donated land near where Farm-to-Market Road 1017 and State Highway 186 intersect U.S. 281, allowing first responders to head in any direction toward a call and be located for immediate response to nearby Brewster Elementary School.

Palacios expects the emergency services complex -- which also will provide office space for state troopers and sheriff's deputies -- to be designed and under construction by the end of this year. Its completion will be a welcome change for the volunteer firefighters, whose new spot in the small post office provides even less space than the gas station they had already outgrown.

Carlos X. Guerra Sr., an area rancher who owns La Muneca Cattle Co., said Linn-San Manuel community leaders had been involved in discussions for the past seven years on ways to build a new fire station that met modern needs. With financial support from the other entities to go along with funds from the community cook-off, he said, they can build a state-of-the-art facility that Linn-San Manuel residents can take pride in.

"We've always been a very united and tight-knit community," said Guerra, who recalled watching firefighters battle the December blaze with tears in their eyes. "We're excited about the future and appreciate all the support we've received."

Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and legislative issues for The Monitor. He can be reached at [email protected] and (956) 683-4424.

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BACKGROUND

Earlier chapters in this story:

>> Flames consume Linn-San Manuel fire station; department's service to continue, chief says

>> Santa tradition for Linn-San Manuel volunteer firefighters