MOSES LAKE - Grant County Fire District 5 wants to start construction on two fire stations by the end of the year.

The replacement fire stations returns the district's total station count to 12, according to Grant County Fire District 5 Assistant Chief Dale Bjork. The stations replace fire stations five and seven.

Fire station five will be located near REC Solar Grade Silicon, at the intersection of Road Q Northeast and East Wheeler Road, said Bjork, during a tour of the station grounds.

The station's west boundary is on Road E Northwest and the south boundary is Road Six Southwest.

He said the fire district sold station five to the polysilicon manufacturing company last year for around $500,000.

The City of Moses Lake annexed the REC property in October.

Fire services to REC are now provided by the Moses Lake Fire Department.

The two replacement stations are projected to cost around $600,000, said Bjork.

The fire district is waiting for the county planning commission to issue a deed to allow the district to start building on the two sites.

"We cannot start building - putting in a sewer and septic tank - until the county says, 'you own the land,'" he said. "We already have been in contact with the two property owners (of the land) and the sale of the property is agreeable."

Bjork said the fire district applied for the deeds last year.

Fire station seven will be located on 3.6 acres of land on Dodson Road North and Road Four Northwest.

The new structure replaces the old station. It will be built a little more than a mile away from the current location.

"The new station will be able to hold at least six fire trucks. The old station was only able to hold four trucks," he said. "It also is currently too small for any of the newer trucks to be stored in."

Bjork said the fire district has had a difficult time finding additional storage for surplus fire trucks.

The cold winter weather can cause the water gauges on the trucks to freeze when they are stored outside, said Bjork.