Firefighters from Daviess County Fire Department’s East Station, which closed after a lightning strike on July 2, have returned to the Countryside Drive location after a nearly four month stay at the Thruston-Philpot Fire Department.
Wednesday’s return was ahead of schedule. Daviess County Fire Chief Jeremy Smith told Owensboro Times earlier this month that he expected firefighter to be back in the East Station by Nov. 1.
Fire caused by the lightning strike and the subsequent water damage to extinguish the flames affected the living quarters and office area of the station, causing parts of the ceiling to collapse.
Daviess County Fiscal Court issued a declaration of emergency after an estimated $225,000 worth of damage to the station was assessed. The County’s insurance covered the cost of the repairs.
“We are extremely grateful for Chief Bob Newman and his staff at the Thruston-Philpot Fire Department for taking us in and being patient with us while we rebuilt our station,” a DCFD social media post read Wednesday night.
