The town is in the process of rebuilding the vehicle repair garage at the Operations Center that was heavily damaged by a fire the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 6, but the cause is not known and neither is the estimate of the damage.
That night Purchasing Agent Randy was working late when he saw smoke and called 911. Engine #1 from the main Wake Forest Fire Department station responded and found a working fire with smoke pouring from the building and fire in an office. The ladder engine crews had to force open the door because no one was in the garage at the time. Other units quickly followed including three Wake Forest fire engines, at least two Wake County EMS units, police units and assorted officials.
This week Public Works Director Mike Barton described the rather lengthy repair process which will take quite a long time. “The first stage being done was cleaning and removing all tools and equipment and evaluating for damages. The second step has been the removal of the siding and roofing – except for the two bays that were cleaned and sanitized just to get us back to work – on the major portion of the building and blasting and painting all the metal parts for re-installation of new siding and roofing. After this, the interior work can proceed.”
“As for the cause,” Barton said, “It is still under investigation. As for an estimate on the damage, we are still going through the process of getting cost estimates on the repairs that are needed.”
