Firefighters in Celina had a close call when a dryer fire engulfed the fire station in flames.
Firefighters in Celina had a call this month that hit too close to home.
Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Mills came back to the station to find part of the garage up in smoke.
"You couldn't see anything other than flames," he said. "It's really no different than seeing it any other place, just the realization that it's our house this time."
After calling for backup, Mills jumped into action, moving valuable equipment, such as the department's ambulance, out of harm's way.
No one was at the station when the fire started because the crew on duty was out performing inspections, Fire Chief Mark Metdker said.
Firefighters believe the blaze began in a dryer, which Metdker said is the source of 15,000 household fires per year.
"As a fire department, you don't think that's going to happen here, but the one thing I've learned in over 40 years in the fire service is that fire doesn't care what building it is," he said.
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The fire department said the blaze proves that a fire can happen anywhere. It encourages residents to contact their local departments about an appointment for a free fire safety inspection.
The fire made the department's living quarters uninhabitable, so it brought in a portable replacement.
The city recently passed a bond election to provide funds for a new fire station. It now may be built sooner rather than later, Metdker said.
