3 Years After Being Closed, an East Bay Fire Station Reopens

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA -- An East Bay fire station has reopened after being closed for three years.

According to fire officials, Station 87, located at West Leland Road and John Henry Johnson Parkway in Pittsburg, officially reopened on Jan. 4.

A ceremony celebrating the reopening is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7 at the station, 800 W. Leland Road, Pittsburg.

The station was first opened in 2000, but was shuttered in 2013 after voters rejected a parcel tax that would have benefited the fire district, according to the office of Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover.

"Thanks to the partnership with the City of Pittsburg and an improved economy, ConFire can fill a gap that has existed since the station was shuttered three years ago," Glover said in a statement.

In the last three years, ConFire has cut costs by partnering with a private ambulance service and seeking new revenue to support its operations.

Two other fire stations, one in Bay Point and one in Pittsburg, absorbed Station 87's calls in the western end of Pittsburg and parts of Bay Point while it was closed.

"Without Station 87, fire services took longer to reach residents and businesses on the western half of the city," Pittsburg Mayor Ben Johnson said in a statement. "We needed it to come back, and we're pleased the county and the fire district are able to restore this critical service to Pittsburg."

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Shutterstock