Kentucky Suburb to Charge Insurers Fee for Fire Service

A suburban fire department in Louisville, Ky. will begin charging a fee to battle most blazes later this summer.

Lyndon will charge a homeowner’s or business’ insurance company as part of a new “cost-recovery” program approved this week.

Lyndon Fire Chief Russell Rakestraw told The Courier-Journal the fire district had no choice but to impose the extra fee or reduce services.

It becomes the first Jefferson County fire district to add an extra fee for structure fires, though several districts bill insurance companies for services at auto-accident cleanups and vehicle fires.

The amount to be charged insurers have not yet been settled but officials said they hope to raise an additional $110,000 through the new charges.

Lyndon responded to its budget problems last year by occasionally closing one of its fire stations for 12-hour shifts.