DECATUR TOWNSHIP — It was a race against time, Decatur Township officials said, but it was a race that they were able to win.

The township was able to contain — albeit possibly temporarily — a landslide behind the volunteer fire department that was threatening to slam into the building.

Daily slippage of the land, which began last Tuesday, and heavy rains the past few days had caused officials concern. Wayne Albright, fire chief, said nearly 1,000 tons of dirt and debris was threatening to collapse onto the station and possibly push it onto State Route 93.

A crowd of township firefighters and trustees, as well as the Lawrence County Commissioners, have worked over the past few days to remove more than 150 truckloads of dirt from the site.

Gene Cox, Decatur Township assistant fire chief, described the work as a great improvement, but it still serves as only a “Band-Aid.”

“We realize that this is a temporary fix,” Cox said. “We just wanted to get us out of immediate danger.”

Ideally, the township wants to level the hillside behind the station, eliminating the danger of a landslide. But, Cox said, it is not known if that is feasible — logistically or economically.

Cecil Townsend, Ohio Department of Transportation Lawrence County transportation administrator, said the hillside has been stabilized, but will definitely need more work in the future. He said a permanent retaining wall is the best solution, even though he knows it will be an expensive one.

Townsend said he has seen hundreds of landslides in the county and each one is unpredictable — they may not shift or they may completely collapse.

He said it is best to take a proactive approach to fix a slide, instead of waiting until it cause major damage.

“There is always the element of the unknown and that’s what worries people,” Townsend said. “They each have different characteristics.”

Cox said the township is hoping to secure funding from state sources to make sure the station — just opened a few months ago — stays safe.