Kyle McClenagan/HPM
Pictured is Houston Fire Department Station No. 61 in Southeast Houston on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
A new Houston Fire Department engine is going unused after the department discovered the truck is too big to fit easily into its station garage.
“The Houston Fire Department received a new ladder truck on June 9, intended for Fire Station 61,” Houston Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz said in a statement to Houston Public Media. “While the ladder truck fits in the bay door, the clearances are narrow, and when combined with the grade of the driveway, it is currently unfeasible to keep the ladder truck in service at this location.”
Muñoz also said the department is working with the city’s general services department to “reconstruct the bay door” and improve clearance for the new vehicle. The firetruck cost approximately $1 million to $1.5 million, according to Houston City Council member Joaquin Martinez, who represents the area of Southeast Houston where Fire Station 61 is located.
Martinez said the station will continue to use its current ladder truck until the station upgrades are completed. He also said the firetruck was purchased before he took office in 2023.
“I’m glad people are being able to capture this story because it was a little bit consistent of [the] previous administration maybe not doing due diligence,” Martinez said. “It takes about three years to really build out these trucks. … Once we found out what truck we were purchasing, we should have definitely firmed up that it’s OK at this station.”
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Martinez said the case of the new firetruck reinforces the need for fiscal responsibility in city purchases.
“One of the things that my team and I — and I’ve talked to [Mayor John Whitmire] about this as well — is that we will always be cognizant of any purchases, making sure that this kind of stuff doesn’t happen,” he said. “The families in that southeast part of my district, they deserve to have public safety priority, and so we want to make sure that these trucks … are available as soon as they can be.”
As of Wednesday, Martinez said he did not have details regarding how much the station renovation is expected to cost. The outgoing firetruck will be used as a backup support vehicle for the city’s fire department once the new one is in service, according to Martinez.