‘It’s all gone:’ Mt. Charleston Fire Station experienced extensive damage after storms

The damage at Mt. Charleston is so severe that its own fire department wasn’t spared.

As of Tuesday morning, you couldn’t step into the Mt. Charleston Fire Station as there is just thick mud left.

This comes after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary flooded the area.

“It’s all gone, we are working out of our trucks right now,” Jason Douglas, the assistant fire chief, said.

Mud left inside the Mt. Charleston Fire Station is seen during a tour on Aug. 29, 2023. (Victoria Saha / 8NewsNow)
Mud left inside the Mt. Charleston Fire Station is seen during a tour on Aug. 29, 2023. (Victoria Saha / 8NewsNow)

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Douglas said it was a race against time to save any equipment needed to save lives.

The fire department has both full-time and volunteer firefighters.  Gear for the volunteers was in the building that was destroyed.

Heavy equipment operators work on clearing flood debris on Mt. Charleston on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023. (Victoria Saha / 8NewsNow)
Heavy equipment operators work on clearing flood debris on Mt. Charleston on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023. (Victoria Saha / 8NewsNow)

“If we have extra gear we are trying to get it to them. Anything we can do to help operate,” Douglas said.

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That’s why a community member who was vetted by the fire department set up a GoFundMe to help the volunteer firefighters get back what they lost.

“The magnitude, I don’t think that’s something any of us foresaw,” Douglas said.

Roads and hiking trails are damaged and the fire department is urging visitors to avoid the area.

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