West Virginia building new fire academy

Construction has started on a new state fire academy in Lewis County, W.Va. The $6.3 million building, scheduled to be finished in June near the Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Conference Center, will replace the current academy in Morgantown where firefighters have been taught for nearly 50 years. The project has received $2 million in state grants.

The West Virginia University Extension Service runs the academy, which serves the state’s 14,000 firefighters, most of whom are volunteers. The academy will include a tractor-trailer, where firefighters can practice in nontoxic smoke with breathing equipment and protective clothing.

The simulator also can be driven to fire departments that don’t have a way to practice putting out fires.