Demolished: Fire station served Sanibel residents for over 50 years before Hurricane Ian

Diana Biederman, Fort Myers News-Press
·1 min read
Sanibel's Fire Station 172 was demolished Feb. 10, 2024.
Sanibel's Fire Station 172 was demolished Feb. 10, 2024.

Mid-morning Feb. 10, Sanibel's firefighters said goodbye to Fire Station 172 when the structure was demolished.

The building suffered severe wind damage and five to six feet of flood water inside when Hurricane Ian impacted Sanibel on Sept. 28, 2022.

The satellite station, on the north end of the island where Sanibel-Captiva Road and Bowman's Beach Road intersect, served Sanibel's residents, businesses and tourists for more than 50 years.

In February 2023, the Station temporarily moved into a mobile home.

After Hurricane Ian decimated Sanibel's Fire Station 172, a temporary facility was opened early March 2023.
After Hurricane Ian decimated Sanibel's Fire Station 172, a temporary facility was opened early March 2023.

According to the Sanibel Fire Rescue District's Facebook page, the Station's replacement will be "one of the most resilient structures on the island."

In the post, Fire Chief Kevin Barbot announced that 70% of the new station's funding will come from a state grant.

Construction is expected to take 18 months.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Sanibel fire station officially demolished following Hurricane Ian