The Santa Clara County Fire Department has more than three times the space to fight fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains with last week’s opening of the Redwood Fire Station.
Though the department has had a fire station south of the Lexington Reservoir since 1979, it began constructing a larger station about eight years ago, according to county fire officials. The Redwood Fire Station is more than triple the size of the original facility.
The new station includes three additional dormitories to house firefighters, a lookout tower for firefighters to spot vegetation fires and an increased capacity to accommodate more fire engines and utility vehicles, officials with the department said at the grand opening on Oct. 30.
“This new facility demonstrates the agency’s strong, enduring commitment to prioritizing a healthy, prepared and resilient public safety agency, emphasizing firefighter health, training and operational readiness,” said County Fire Chief Suwanna Kerdkaew.
Located in Redwood Estates off Highway 17, the station will serve residents of that and other unincorporated communities, including Chemeketa Park and Lexington Hills, providing a service to an area where fire safety has long been a concern. Not only are the Santa Cruz Mountains more prone to wildfires, its roadways can be difficult to navigate by car in extreme weather.