Property Purchased for New Mana’e Fire Station

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Photo courtesy of Zillow.com.

Last Friday, Maui County closed on the purchase of a property on the island’s east end to relocate the aging Puko’o Fire Station. The property, located just east of Kilohana School on the mauka side of the highway, is a three-bedroom home on nearly 11,000 square feet of land that will enable the Dept. of Fire and Public Safety to house two firefighters and an office, according to Maui County. 

“The current firefighters’ quarters are beyond repair,” said Maui Fire Chief Bradford Ventura. “Housing our firefighters at this newly acquired property will allow our department to maintain emergency-response times within 30 minutes for the 1,500 residents of Puko`o District in East Molokai.”

The current fire station is in an 83-year-old home at Puko`o. The aging structure is in disrepair and located in an area prone to frequent flooding. The property is owned by the state Department of Health and leased to Maui County on a month-to-month basis, according to the County.

The purchase of the new station property comes after years of discussions, community meetings and consideration of multiple location options. The property was purchased by Maui County for $300,000 and the three-bedroom home was built in 1978. It is outside of flood zones, but will need to be remodeled into two dorm areas and an office space.

A Maui County spokesperson said there is currently no timeline set for opening the new station.