Roxborough fire station closed by fumes, now reopen

ROXBOROUGH (WPVI) -- Philadelphia firefighters forced out of their station by fumes months ago are finally back where they belong tonight.

The homecoming follows new measures to help ensure the safety of the crews who protect us.

Battalion Chief Robert Corrigan says it was back in December that members on watch at Engine 66 smelled fumes. Testing found the hazards were generally associated with petroleum products and fuel gases.

Deputy Commissioner Jesse Wilson explains, "It turns out there were fumes in the station and then we worked with city agencies, state agencies and federal agencies to make the station safe again."

As Action News reported at the time, that meant temporarily taking this firehouse out of service. Engine 66 was relocated to Ladder 30 about a mile down the road.

The source was never determined and probably will never be, but the idea was to have features in place to mitigate the problem should it arise again.

Among the measures taken, a closet floor was sealed, a mechanical fan was installed in the ceiling, and a pipe would divert potential fumes outside the building.

Wilson says, "We've installed a mitigation system, removed a fuel tank in the rear of the station as a precaution."

Wilson also says readings taken over the past several months have been clear and now Engine 66 is set to take calls from their home station.