Insurance covers $300K in fire station damages

Tangipahoa Parish Rural Protection Fire District No. 2 has reached an initial settlement of over $300,000 for damage caused to stations three months prior by Hurricane Ida.

Administrator Dennis Crocker said he has been in contact with the insurance company for all of the damage to the stations within the fire district, and a total of $362,607.59 is going to the various fire departments to cover damages.

This is just the initial settlement, and there are still some outstanding matters being worked on, such as the tree removal for the Loranger station, which is is still being assessed, he added.

Manchac, Ponchatoula and Loranger fire departments were among those with big damages to their stations. Other departments experienced minor to moderate damage, Crocker said.

All the fire departments are still able to be used, he said.

Manchac's fire station, located near Middendorf's, sustained water and wind damage. The walls have been taken up to about four feet, and the facility is not inhabitable right now, he said.

Ponchatoula Rural Fire's station sustained roof damage, and a temporary shelter is being used for the firefighters to stay in, he said.

A tree destroyed a Loranger fire station and building, which housed a fire truck, he said, adding that a new station will need to be built.

None of the fire trucks was damaged during the hurricane as they were moved to higher ground, he added.

Crocker anticipates restoring the damaged fire stations will take at least three to six months.

The fire district has before never experienced such widespread damage, he said.

The Ponchatoula station was damaged in 2016, but that was an isolated situation, he said.