CHELMSFORD — Two fire stations in Chelmsford are set to be demolished in the coming weeks to make way for new replacement buildings to better accommodate the town’s firefighters.

The twin projects to replace the aging West and South Fire Stations were given the blessings of Town Meeting and Chelmsford voters in the fall of 2024 with the approval of $25 million in funding for the new stations. Now, nearly two years later, the projects are set to begin just a week apart with the demolition of the South Station, the home of Engine 5, at 295 Acton Road on Monday.

The West Station at 260 Old Westford Road, which houses Engine 3, will subsequently be demolished as well upon the completion of the demolition of the South Station. Each demolition is expected to take one week, acting Town Manager John Sousa said in a statement July 13.

“After both sites have been cleared and prepared, construction of the two replacement stations will proceed simultaneously. We remain on track for a Fall 2027 substantial completion date for both facilities,” said Fire Chief Gary Ryan in a statement to The Sun Monday. “To help keep residents informed, I have notified neighbors surrounding the Engine 5 station of the upcoming demolition activities. In addition, the Town is conducting outreach efforts to ensure residents are aware of the upcoming demo operation.”

“These station replacement projects represent a significant investment in the Town’s public safety infrastructure and will provide modern, efficient facilities that better support our firefighters and emergency response operations for decades to come,” Ryan said later.

When the project came to a vote at Town Meeting in 2024, project proponents like Ryan and IAFF Local 1839 President Robert Albon cited the age of both structures, which had gone beyond their initially projected 50-year lifespan.

Proponents also cited inherent design issues with the facilities, like proximity of the stations’ small living quarters to their respective garages, which gives firefighters a higher exposure to toxins like exhaust from firetrucks. Each station also lacks decontamination devices for firefighter gear, which puts firefighters at risk of longer term illnesses from exposure to the toxins that can settle on their gear after being at a fire scene.

In a statement to The Sun Monday, Albon said the push to replace the two aging stations “is grounded in firefighter health and safety, evolving operational demands, and adherence to nationally recognized standards that are designed to protect both the public and emergency personnel.”

“A primary concern is the design of many existing stations, which reflect an outdated model where living quarters are directly adjacent to or, in some cases, open to apparatus bays. Modern fire service research has clearly established that diesel exhaust particulates, along with other combustion byproducts routinely brought back into the station on apparatus and gear, pose a significant long term health risk to firefighters,” said Albon, noting that the occupational exposure for firefighters is considered the highest rating of carcinogen, “meaning there is sufficient evidence that firefighting causes cancer in humans.”

“In response to this science, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and other authorities now emphasize station designs that include full separation between apparatus bays and living spaces, dedicated turnout gear storage and decontamination areas, and source capture exhaust systems that remove diesel emissions at the point of origin,” said Albon. “These features are not cosmetic upgrades; they are critical safeguards that significantly reduce chronic exposure and align Chelmsford’s fire stations with modern health and safety standards.”

The funding for the project voted on by Town Meeting and Chelmsford’s voters came in the form of $25 million in debt to be paid off over 20 years.

© 2026 The Sun, Lowell, Mass.. Visit www.lowellsun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.