Fire Station 26 on South Tryon Street in southwest Charlotte has gone dark for now, after inspectors found extensive mold inside the building. City officials evacuated the station and temporarily relocated crews so firefighters are not exposed while the contamination is assessed and cleaned up. The building is expected to sit idle for months.
Crews Reassigned, Coverage Still On The Clock
Residents in the Ayrsley area are still covered, but they may notice slower overnight responses while firefighters work out of other locations, according to The Charlotte Observer. The Charlotte Fire Department says daytime calls are being coordinated with nearby units. At night, crews are operating from Station 30 on Beam Road, roughly 3 miles away, and Station 37 about 5 miles farther down South Tryon Street, Battalion Chief John Lipcsak told the paper.
Cleanup Plan And Target Reopening
Contractors working with the city’s general services and risk-management teams are now sizing up the full scope of the mold problem. The department expects Station 26 to reopen in early September, The Charlotte Observer reports. “Out of an abundance of caution, command staff temporarily relocated personnel while remediation planning progresses,” Lipcsak said in a written statement to the outlet.
Why Mold Is A Serious Call
Mold exposure can bring on allergy-like symptoms, coughing and shortness of breath, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Firefighter unions have been sounding alarms for years that contaminated stations are not just unpleasant, they are a workplace hazard. The International Association of Fire Fighters has highlighted mold and long-delayed building repairs at firehouses across the country as problems that can trigger respiratory issues for crews.
What Neighbors Need To Know
For people living nearby, the instructions have not changed: call 911 in an emergency and expect firefighters to respond, even if they are rolling in from a bit farther away at night while cleanup is underway. City communication channels and the Charlotte Fire Department will share updates as work moves forward. Neighbors with non-emergency safety questions can contact 311 or the department’s non-emergency lines to check on available resources.
