A ground breaking ceremony will be held today for a $6.8 million solar-powered fire station in La Quinta that will host up to four fire engines.

The ceremony is set for 11 a.m. at the site of the La Quinta Fire Station No. 32 on Avenue 52, said Andrea Carter, a spokeswoman for the event.

The 7,200 square-foot fire station will feature photovoltaic solar panels to generate electricity for the station and a exhaust gas capture system that removes harmful vehicle emissions, according to La Quinta Fire Division Chief Dorian J. Cooley.

"The new fire station will include many state-of-the-art features," Cooley said. "Some of these include exhaust gas capture systems, which remove cancer-causing vehicle emissions and directly vent them outside the building."

The station, which is expected to be completed in early fall 2010, will also allow faster access to to the core of the city, he said.

"It will be exciting to see this latest service improvement come on line for our La Quinta residents," Cooley said.