The city has held off on utilizing the structure until that area grew to a point that called for the need. That need is now.

The city also plans to move Station 4, currently near Mitchell Nielsen Elementary, to Medical Center Parkway in the near future.

The new station, which will have two large truck bays, will significantly reduce response time for firefighters on the fast-developing western edge of the city. The emergency response radius of the new fire station will be 1.5 miles in all directions.

Previously, Harlingen fire department officials have said the new station could cut response times to homes and businesses in the area by up to four or five minutes.

Better fire coverage in the area has been a concern for the city, which is trying to get out in front of a wave of commercial and residential development in the area.

Texas Regional Bank also plans a new headquarters building nearby, and real estate agents and city planners have said they expect a dramatic and rapid expansion of commercial development from Harlingen to La Feria along the interstate.

The Washington City Council approved the sale to Hurricane Valley Fire District of a 1.47-acre piece of land located approximately at 66 N. Coral Canyon Blvd. (next to the Texaco gas station).

An advantage of the Coral Canyon Boulevard site will be quicker access to the Coral Canyon area by state Route 9, as well as the industrial park where businesses like Litehouse Foods and Dats Trucking are located.

The new fire station is estimated to cost around $1.5 million and will be financed by a 30-year, $1 million loan from the from the state’s Permanent Community Impact Board to the Hurricane Valley Fire District. The CIB, as it is sometimes called, is also supplying a $500,000 grant on top of the loan.

The $1 million not covered by the grant will be split between Washington City and the fire district.

The first units on scene encountered a 4,000 square foot storage building fully involved with fire. The building was currently utilized to secure/store a large amount of fire department training equipment. It took 25 firefighters from Cal Fire/County Fire, the California Mens Colony Fire Department and San Luis Obispo City Fire Department approximately 1 hour to extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.

The building and its contents, one vehicle and a large amount of fire department training equipment, were destroyed in the fire. The estimated dollar loss is $500,000 and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.