New training building for Lexington Fire Department

A structure that will allow the Lexington Fire Department and other agencies to train without damaging private property is nearing completion on Old Frankfort Pike.

The building, which includes four enclosed stories and an open fifth story, will be used in training firefighters to use hoses and sprinkler systems, Capt. Chris Bartley said.

The new tower replaces a block structure that was torn down in 2012. The new building is metal, and it has a sprinkler system that will allow crews to practice hooking up water from their fire engines, Bartley said.

There will be no actual fires set in the building, but firefighters will use artificial smoke and log smoke to produce the effects of an active burn, Bartley said. The structure also includes flat and angled roofs on which firefighters can train.

The fire department expects to be able to train in the new tower starting in October.

This story was originally published September 24, 2016 at 2:04 PM with the headline "New training building for Lexington Fire Department."