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Saturday, January 28, 2012

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Extreme Makeover: Fire-Station Edition 

By Janet Wilmoth, Editorial Director

The Heart of Pines Volunteer Fire station in Smithville, Texas, is going to be on national television.

Last September, the largest wildfire in Texas history hit Bastrop County, consuming more than 34,000 acres and destroying more than 1,300 homes. Volunteer Firefighters Mizzy and Chris Zdroj lost their family home and business, though they and their fellow firefighters were able to save their fire station.

Eric and Herman Christophe of EFC Custom Homes, a local builder in Bastrop County, were so moved by the dedication and commitment of the volunteer firefighters, they offered to build a new home for the Zdroj family. That build will be featured on an episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

But in a surprise move, the show also expanded and renovated the Heart of Pines Volunteer Fire Station. Builders added a new apparatus bay and installed new garage doors, reinforced the building’s insulation, and began the construction of a new entry façade. The interior remodel also is underway. Meyerson Custom Builders of Smithville, Texas, served as the project’s lead builder....

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