The Santa Clara County Fire Department has more than three times more space to fight fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains thanks to last week’s opening of the Redwood Fire Station.
Although the department has had a fire station south of Lexington Reservoir since 1979, it began building a larger station about eight years ago, according to county firefighters. The Redwood Fire Station is more than three times the size of the original facility.
The new station includes three additional dormitories to house firefighters, an observation tower for firefighters to spot wildfires and increased capacity to accommodate more fire trucks and utility vehicles, department officials said during the official inauguration on October 30.
“This new facility demonstrates the agency’s strong and enduring commitment to prioritizing a healthy, prepared and resilient public safety agency, with a focus on firefighter health, training and operational readiness,” said Suwanna Kerdkaew, county fire chief.
Located in Redwood Estates, off Highway 17, the station will serve residents of that and other unincorporated communities, including Chemeketa Park and Lexington Hills, providing service in an area where fire safety has since a concern for a long time. Not only are the Santa Cruz Mountains more prone to wildfires, but their roads can be difficult to navigate by car in extreme weather conditions.
The old fire station had a more limited offering. Kerdkaew’s description of the old station sparked laughter from the firefighters during the inauguration.
The station “went from two very outdated and quaint modular buildings, which is a nice way of putting it, to the modern two-story building you see today,” she said.
The renovated fire station opens its doors as Cal Fire and county firefighters continue to investigate arson as the cause of four separate small fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains this summer that have some residents on edge.
Fire safety was also a concern for hundreds of residents along Mountain Charlie Road, also in the Santa Cruz Mountains, who witnessed a landslide this spring blocking access to main roads.
Although Santa Cruz County officials completed construction of a temporary road in the landslide area in September, restoring access, residents worried about their ability to evacuate in the event of a major fire during of summer.
Local officials, such as State Assembly Member Gail Pellerin and Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee, were on hand at the Oct. 30 event to present certificates recognizing the completion of the new barracks by the firefighters.
“As a county, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the leadership and partners of the Santa Clara County Fire Department, as well as all members of the community who supported the completion of this station,” Lee said .
