A fire station in Slidell, La. was heavily damaged by fire Saturday afternoon.
Among the equipment destroyed was a hose tender parked in the engine bay where the fire is believed to have started, Chris Kaufmann, the department's chief of administration, said in a statement.
"After the Fire Operator of Hose Tender 14 heard a loud popping noise, he went into the engine room to find a third of the engine room on fire. The Operator went over the radio to notify our dispatch that we needed to dispatch our trucks to Station 14 for a working fire..."
The engine assigned to the station was in the area picking up some supplies. The fire spread very quickly; therefore prohibiting the operator from extinguishing the fire or moving the hose tender that was parked in the engine bay at the time of the fire.
Three vehicles that belonged to the firefighters also were destroyed in the blaze.
Investigators believe the fire may have been caused by an electrical issue.
The blaze that damaged more than half of the 3.500 square foot station has been deemed uninhabitable, he said.
Personnel assigned to the firehouse have been relocated. However, there are plans to place a trailer on the site so coverage can resume there shortly.
