Detroit to resurrect fire station destroyed by 2020 wildfires

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A rural fire district that serves the Detroit and Idanha areas broke ground on a new fire station after the Santiam Fire destroyed 70% of the lakeside community and its firehouse in the summer of 2020.

The Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 15 at the intersection of Blowout Road and Highway 22 on Monday to celebrate the building of a new firehouse, which the fire district hopes to complete by the summer of 2025.

“We are grateful for all of the support from the Idanha-Detroit community and beyond excited for all of the great things to come with the completion of our new fire station,” Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District shared on social media.

The Santiam Fire, which started as three separate lightning fires and combined to burn more than 400,000 acres, also destroyed one of the district’s fire engines and damaged its brush truck. In the aftermath of the fires, the district was awarded $2.4 million from the state's Coronavirus Relief Fund. The district is using these funds to build its new fire station, which is still in the planning stages.

“The fire of Sept. 9, 2020 produced damage of monumental, catastrophic proportions,” the City of Detroit website states. “... The fire destroyed over 1,500 structures in the Santiam Canyon, which included massive destruction to the city of Detroit, becoming one of the most destructive wildfires in the history of Oregon.”

The local community gathering to celebrate the building of a new fire station caught the attention of Sen. Ron Wyden, who also expressed his support of the project.

“Gratified to see the Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District broke ground this weekend on its new fire station,” Wyden said. “These firefighters battling blazes here in Marion and Linn counties as well as firefighters throughout Oregon are real community heroes who deserve the best.”