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Helena officials planning repairs for Fire Tower

Posted at 9:48 PM, Jun 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-29 15:55:44-04

HELENA – It’s been over two and a half years since a fire damaged one of the structural supports of the Fire Tower in Helena.

City officials say they haven’t forgotten about the iconic landmark and plan on making repairs.

Parks and Recreation Director Kristi Ponozzo says the city is still actively looking at ways to fix the structural issues caused by the fire.

That damage has made it is unsafe for people to be on the structure and prevented the city from lighting at night.

“This is definitely something that we’re working on,” said Ponozzo. “We know how important it is to the city of Helena, not just as a park but also as an icon.”

Due to the historic nature of the landmark, the city has been working with the Montana Preservation Alliance to maintain the character of the structure and preserve the history.

“We’re making sure that we’re preserving it appropriately, that we’re fixing it how it needs to be fixed so that it can sustain for years to come and also figure out how to light it,” explained Ponozzo.

Plans for repairing the Fire Tower are still being developed at this time, but Ponozzo said the city will provide updates as soon as they are available.

Story by John Riley, MTN News