Mountain Forest Town of Angelus Oaks to Get New $2.27M Fire Station in 2013

The mountain forest town of Angelus Oaks northeast of Redlands and Loma Linda is going to get a brand-new, $2.27 million fire station to replace old Station 98, according to staff for Third District Supervisor Neil Derry.

The county Board of Supervisors approved a construction contract for the new station on Tuesday, with a total budgeted cost of $2,275,000, and the new station is expected to completed by October 2013, according to Derry's staff.

Station 98 at 5766 Frontage Road next to Highway 38 in Angelus Oaks has served as a base for volunteer and paid firefighters since the mid-1950s, according to San Bernardino County Fire Department veterans.

"The unincorporated mountain community situated along Highway 38 is currently served by an outdated station constructed over 40 years ago," a statement from Derry's staff said. "The structure was initially intended to serve as a storage area for fire equipment and apparatus before being converted to its current use. The new station is designed to meet current fire service codes and regulations."

The new station will include a community room for residents' use, according to Derry's staff.

"Fire stations in mountain and rural communities serve as more than just tools to protect life and property," Derry said. "They in many ways become a hub of information and social interaction that binds residents together and fosters a sense of shared responsibility, trust and connectedness."

The unincorporated Angelus Oaks community is about 20 miles from downtown Redlands and Loma Linda. The town is situated in the midst of the fire-prone San Bernardino National Forest, and several trailheads in the area serve as gateways to the federal San Gorgonio Wilderness.

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