The Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) Fire District last week opened its seventh fire station.

The 6,000-square-foot, single-story fire station has a residential design to blend with the neighborhood. Landscaping, although not complete, will feature a fire-safe landscape design, modeling fire-resistant plants and materials for homes located in the foothills.

A three-person crew will staff a Paramedic Fire Engine 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year, ready to respond to fire, medical and rescue emergencies. The station will also house a fire engine specially designed for responses in the brush covered hillsides in the city's north end. When a call necessitates this specialty equipment, the brush engine will be cross-staffed by the three-person crew.

The station was built on former San Bernardino County Flood Control property obtained through a cooperative effort between the fire district, San Bernardino County and the city of Rancho Cucamonga. This arrangement allowed the entities to share costs for the improvement of the property, a portion of which has been retained by the county for future development.