Extreme fire engine

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

The new Sabine Pass fire engine sports a custom shark logo to match the school's mascot at the Sabine Pass School in Sabine Pass on Friday, Aug. 18, 2006. E-one of Ocala, Fla. donated a new fire engine to the Port Arthur Fire Department's Sabine Pass station as part of the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition -- After the Storm" series.


Pre-K teacher Tracie Billeaud (right) and her class examine the community's new fire engine at the Sabine Pass School in Sabine Pass. Much of Sabine Pass was irreparably damaged when Hurricane Rita made landfall directly above the community.


Firefighter David Simmons (right) explains parts of the new fire engine to students at the Sabine Pass School. Firefighters were presented with a new "loaner" fire engine during the taping of Extreme Makeover. The new one is permanent.


Sabine Pass School students are the first in Sabine Pass to inspect the community's new fire engine. While most of the historic community has been demolished, many remaining residents live in trailers next to their blue-tarped homes.


The community's new fire engine backs into the station in Sabine Pass. Because the community was so badly damaged, Extreme Makeover tackled projects to help the entire community including the fire station and the school's theater. The station was gutted and rebuilt in four days.

Please see additional photos on Fayrouz's blog. For additional coverage, please see Mark's Hurricane Rita visual timeline.