Flames tear through Randolph fire station
Randolph Village fire station badly damaged in morning fire
UPDATED 11:29 AM EDT Sep 01, 2015
RANDOLPH, VERMONT
A morning fire badly damaged the Randolph Village fire station in Randolph, Vermont.
The emergency snarled traffic at the intersection of Routes 12 and 12A as firefighters from neighboring communities responded to help put out the flames.
The fire call came in at 6:19 a.m., according to the department. It is a volunteer agency, so officials said personnel scrambles to the station from all over.
Chief Jay Collette, of the Randolph Village Fire Department, said he was "awe-struck" at having to confront a fire at his own station.
"No fire chief wants this in their own house," Collette said. "But we'll deal with it. That's what we do.
Collette said the department's primary fire engine, only four years old, was lost in the fire. He valued the piece of equipment at $450,000.
The extent of the damage to two other fire vehicles parked inside was unclear.
Outside the fire station, firefighters doused piles of smoking debris torn from the buildings.
Across the street, volunteers with the New Hampshire/Vermont Region of the American Red Cross were providing cold drinks and snacks to firefighters.
Collette said the department was using its apparatus for training Monday night but could not say if equipment issues might have contributed to the fire.
Collette said a routine investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire. He said he has no reason to believe it was suspicious.
Randolph still does have fire protection, from the Randolph Center Fire Department, and the East Randolph Fire Department. No one was injured at the fire station or while fighting the fire.
