Encinitas celebrated the grand opening of a new, temporary fire station Wednesday on the Pacific View Arts Center property with a ceremonial “push-in” of a fire truck. The $2.1 million fire station — a two-bay, 1,600-square-foot garage, plus a 2,600-square-foot manufactured home with firefight er living quarters — is considered a “temporary” structure, but it’s built to last a while. That’s because it’s going be at least a half-dozen years before Encinitas can start pursing a new, permanent replacement, Mayor Bruce Ehlers said before the start of Wednesday’s ceremony. The city’s next priority needs to be replacing Fire Station 6 in Olivenhain, and after that it can revisit the Fire Station 1 issue, he said. Participants at Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new, temporary Fire Station 1 participate in a traditional fire truck “push-in” event. (Barbara Henry / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Some 70 people attended Wednesday’s ceremony, including at least a dozen firefighters, plus city elected officials and community members. Before attendees rolled up their sleeves and began to push the truck into its new home, the mayor, deputy mayor and fire chief spoke to the crowd. Fire Chief Josh Gordon praised his firefighters for their patience, noting that they’ve been doubling up in rooms at other stations since the city’s old Fire Station 1 was forced to close in October 2024. Built in 1957, that structure was ordered closed after inspectors found it had seismic structural deficiencies. Though it was an aging masonry building, it was home to many memories “and leaving it was sad,” Gordon said as he recalled the historic photos on the walls and the retired firefighters stopping by to say goodby during the move-out period. City officials considered a number of temporary replacement sites, but ultimately decided to use part of the arts center parking lot. In addition to being city-owned land, that site was selected because it, like the old station, was in the downtown coastal region west Interstate 5. “It gives our crews a safe, functional place to start every shift, (and) respond quickly to one of the busiest areas of our city, and that is our downtown corridor,” Gordon said. Deputy Mayor Jim O’Hara called the new station a “functional workspace” in “one of the most active areas of Encinitas,” while the mayor noted that it took him 40 minutes to get to the new station from the city’s far eastern Olivenhain region due to traffic congestion and that’s why it’s necessary to have a fire station west of the freeway. Firefighters already have moved into the new station, Gordon said. It’s currently staffed with three firefighters per shift, but an ambulance crew may be added at a later point, he said. ...read more read less