Earthquake damage shuts down Magna fire station

MAGNA, Utah — The Unified Fire Authority will close its Magna Station 102, after earthquake and aftershock damage sustained in the last month.

Evaluating the earthquake damage

Unified Fire evaluated the integrity of all of its stations after each of the major earthquakes and aftershocks over the last month. Several fire stations sustained minor damage, but Magna’s 102 Station and Millcreek’s 112 Station experienced more significant damage.

“All of the stations were considered safe to continue operations; however, Magna Station 102 and Millcreek Station 112 located at 3608 Jupiter Drive experienced significant damage from the March 18 quake.  Since that quake, there have been three major aftershocks that forced engineers to reevaluate UFA facilities after each event,” Chief Dan Petersen said in a statement from UFA.

After Thursday’s 4.2 aftershock, Petersen decided to relocate the crew from Station 102 to Magna Station 111.

Relocating the Magna fire station

Unified Fire said with the frequency and intensity of the aftershocks and high probability of more, Petersen felt that moving the crews housed in the station was the best option to keep them safe and still serve the residents of Magna.

“Engineers still feel Station 112 in Millcreek is safe to house the Firefighters; however, they are keeping a close watch on the station and will evaluate the facility after each major aftershock,” the news release continued.

“While this will affect response times in the northwest portion of Magna, our crews’ safety and the ability to be available for response is of the utmost priority,” Petersen said. “I’m confident we can continue to deliver quality emergency services for the Magna community from Station 111, while ensuring the safety of our crews until the station can be further evaluated or repaired if necessary.

“Fire stations are essential facilities and it’s critical that we are able to continue to respond from the station in the event of a larger earthquake, it is a priority to address the structural needs to ensure the safety of our crews and the ability to continue delivering emergency services to those in need.”

A seismic study

UFA says they completed a seismic study in August 2019 that reviewed all 25 of its fire stations. The study found 15 stations seismically sound, and identified the remaining 10 as needing structural seismic retrofits.

Of the ten that needed retrofitting, the agency designated five for replacement.

That list included both Magna Station 102 and Millcreek Station 112, along with stations 103 in Herriman, 125 in Midvale and 251 in Eagle Mountain.

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Earthquake preparedness and resources

For the latest earthquakes in our region, please visit the KSL earthquake tracker.

Utah is “Earthquake Country,” meaning the state is susceptible to earthquakes, especially along the Wasatch Front. It’s important to prepare yourself and your family for an earthquake. Here are some basic tips on earthquake preparedness:

Before an Earthquake

• Move or secure objects that could fall and hurt you
• Identify your building’s potential weaknesses and begin to fix them
• Create a disaster-preparedness plan and have disaster supply kits ready

During an Earthquake

• Seek cover under sturdy furniture or doorways. As things move, hold on, and move with it.
• Move away from windows and objects that could fall
• Move against a wall in the interior of the building, cover and protect yourself

 

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