Photo from Ionia Fire Department Facebook page
Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, the Ionia Fire Department’s fire hall has been rebuilt and will be shown off to the public during an open house this Saturday, July 28 from 1-4 p.m.
Ionia’s fire department suffered a devastating loss when its old fire hall burned to the ground in a fire on July 28, 2015 at 3:15 a.m. Firefighters were able to save gear, the American flag that flew over the fire hall and the department’s trucks before flames fully engulfed the building, eventually causing the roof to collapse.
The department erected a pole barn to house the department’s equipment about six months after the fire, allowing the department to bring the equipment back to the community after neighboring departments in Mendon and East Bloomfield had housed the trucks right after the fire.
After two years of negotiations with the insurance company for a settlement, an agreement was reached last August. Demolition of what remained of the old building followed last September and work began on the new fire hall, which is 7,000 square feet, last October. Donations from the community, other organizations, other fire departments and fundraisers also helped get the building erected. The department officially moved into the facility on May 14.
