The Town of Trion is making plans to purchase a new fire truck after one of its trucks was destroyed in a fire at the Mount Vernon Mills firehouse earlier this year.
Trion Mayor Mickey McGraw said the town recently received a $329,000 insurance payment for the destroyed truck. However, that money is expected to cover only about half the cost of purchasing a replacement.
“That will cover about half the cost of a new one,” McGraw said.
The fire occurred this summer inside the firehouse located at Mount Vernon Mills. A passerby noticed smoke coming from the building and alerted authorities.
Officials believe faulty wiring may have caused the blaze. Although the fire started inside the building, the mill itself was not damaged.
The destroyed fire truck was a Rosenbauer purchased from Southern Emergency Products Inc. in 2012 for approximately $330,000. According to McGraw, the cost of fire trucks has doubled since that purchase.
The town plans to purchase a replacement truck and sell one of its older trucks, which remains operational.
In the meantime, neighboring fire departments are providing fire protection coverage for Trion.
