VIDEO/PHOTOS: The Hauser Volunteer Fire Department’s lone fire station looks to be a total loss due to a fire that started around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Fire Chief Jerry Wharton says crews arrived to see the building engulfed in flames and says he felt helpless watching his second home wither away. “I just couldn’t even hardly believe it, even though this is what you do, it’s always for somebody else, coming here and not being able to do a thing,” says Chief Wharton.
North Bay Elementary, which is right next door, initially delayed school Tuesday morning by two hours but ultimately made the decision to close for the day. North Bay Principal Darrell Johnston says that was due to the air quality and a decision to keep students and faculty safe. “Especially those students and adults in our community with respiratory issues or asthma, and at the recommendation of emergency personnel, including the Hauser Fire Department, we made the decision that we needed to close school for the day,” Johnston says.
