Fire station damaged in blaze to be upgraded

A fire station which was damaged in a blaze four months ago is to be repaired and upgraded, fire chiefs have said.

The small fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, broke out at Lazonby On-Call station in February.

It was tackled by crews at the scene from Penrith and Carlisle East, who managed to contain it to one room.

Cumbria's police, fire and crime commissioner (PFCC) David Allen, said the damage would be repaired over the next six weeks and include a refurbishment of the building.

He said the work would include making the station more energy efficient and improve the facilities for firefighters.

No-one was injured during the blaze and crews have been stationed at the premises of a local business so they could remain on call.

"It's great to see what was an unfortunate occurrence being turned into an opportunity to improve," Mr Allen said.

"Our on-call stations are vital to the service to ensure that all emergencies can be attended in a timely manner and keep the public as safe as possible so it's essential that this work is complete."

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