The Columbia Shuswap Regional District says a larger property could lead to a bigger fire hall down the road, as it announced on Tuesday the purchase of a site where the Scotch Creek-Lee Creek Fire Hall will be rebuilt.

The old Scotch Creek-Lee Creek Fire Hall at 3852 Squilax-Anglemont Rd. was destroyed in the 2023 Bush Creek East wildfire.

In a statement released online, the CSRD announced it has purchased a new property at 1435 Beatty Rd. in Scotch Creek.

“This location allows for potential future expansion of the fire hall, as well as better placement of the building,” the statement said.

“The new property has access points off both Beatty Road and Squilax Anglemont Road, which is an advantage for moving fire trucks on the site.”

In a closed meeting in June, the CSRD board authorized the spending of up to $400,000 for the purchase of a new property for the fire hall, but the regional district said this new property cost only $350,000.

“In the short term, we will be building back what we had before, but the new site will have potential for future expansion as the community grows,” said Derek Sutherland, general manager of community and protective services. “We are pleased to be moving forward with rebuilding plans.”

The CSRD has not announced any immediate plans for what it will do with the former fire hall property. If the old property is not deemed useful for CSRD purposes, the old property could be sold to offset the cost of the new property.

Designs for the new fire hall will be different from the old one, but it will feature some of the same elements like space for gear storage and a training room which could be used for community events.

Construction costs for the new fire hall are expected to be primarily covered by the fire insurance of the old facility.

The CSRD is currently evaluating proposals for the new build, and construction is set to begin in 2025.