A declaration of emergency has been issued by Daviess County Fiscal Court in regard to damages at East Daviess County Fire station after lightning struck the building on July 3.
Since that lightning strike, which caused a fire inside the station, East Daviess firefighters have been forced to relocate and work out of the Thruston-Philpot Fire Station. According to Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly, the severe damages that occurred at the East Daviess station could take between two to five months to repair.
The declaration of emergency was filed on July 5, which Mattingly said will expedite the reconstruction process for the fire station.
According to Mattingly, the lightning that struck the East Daviess County Fire Station resulted in an estimated $225,000 worth of damages.
“The living quarters, the kitchen area, the trusses, the roof — there’s going to be some major structural change to that building,” he said.
For the time being, while two fire departments are consolidated under one building, Daviess County Fiscal Court said they will pay the utility bills for the Thruston-Philpot Station.
Mattingly said a contractor will either be selected by Fiscal Court or referred by the insurance company overseeing the fire station’s damages.
