By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun

     HARBISON CANYON — More than 100 local residents and neighbors gathered at the new building at 551 Harbison Canyon Road last Saturday, Feb. 7, for the long-awaited grand reopening of the Harbison Canyon Fire Station.
     The previous fire station – a two-story, wood-frame building, built at least 60 years ago — was among more than 300 structures that burned in the tiny community in 2003 during the Cedar Fire. Since then, efforts to rebuild the small station were slowed by insurance hurdles as well as the search for a suitable site for the building.
     Environmental concerns arose at two potential sites before the current lot was purchased. The district paid $400,000 for the 1-acre site, which had been the site of a home destroyed in the fire.
     Captain Michael Simpson of San Diego Rural Fire Protection District, and captain of the seven volunteer firefighters who serve Harbison Canyon, held back tears as he spoke of the opening, "It feels great. It's hard to keep back the emotions, from seeing what's going on."
     Simpson recalls when he and his fellow firefighters were ordered to evacuate when the fires struck in 2003. Simpson said, "When we left, the station was still standing,” Simpson said. “One vehicle was on fire behind the station as we were leaving."
     For the next five years Simpson would keep a fire truck at his nearby home to serve his community. Captain Simpson was recognized by his fellow firefighters with one of his old badges that was burned during the Cedar fires. Many gnarled and melted twisted-metal items, recovered from the burned station site, were on display at the opening on Saturday, reminding residents how hot and fierce the Cedar Fire tore through the community.
     “I can’t help but think about when I was standing here in this community after the Cedar Fire, on a picnic table, talking to all of you,” said Second District Supervisor Dianne Jacob on Saturday morning. “I said to you then, that we will rise from the ashes and be a better community for it... I think we can see this here today.”
     Jacob took a tour of the new San Diego Rural Fire Protection District facility.
     The $1.1 million station includes a truck parking, as well as two common areas and a kitchen for the volunteer firefighters use. At the moment the station is equipped with several futon couches that volunteers will be able to use as beds, however, a sleeping facility is also planned for the back corner of the site. This will allow the station to provide 24-hour service year-round to the residents of Harbison Canyon.
     In addition to the $900,000 insurance settlement, the district also received $100,000 from the Sycuan tribe and $50,000 from county Supervisor Dianne Jacob's office to pay for the new station.
     “The county is back in the fire business, and I think it’s the right idea,” Jacob said to the crowd of residents and neighbors. “Back in the 70s the Board of Supervisors basically washed it’s hands of the unincorporated area… Now we have invested more than $140 million in the fire service for the unincorporated areas.”
     “It took us a lot to get here today, and I’m going to need your help and support to keep this momentum going when it comes to funding and staffing,” Jacob said.