Firefighters struggled to find a working hydrant when they responded to the Lombardy Circle explosion and fire. Charlotte Water is now pledging better oversight.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the moments after a house explosion sparked a fire in a Dilworth neighborhood, firefighters scrambled to find a working fire hydrant as the flames grew. A WCNC Charlotte investigation found the two closest fire hydrants on Lombardy Circle were not fully functional when firefighters needed them.
As a result of the failure, blamed on private contractors, Charlotte Water is now increasing oversight.
“That’s just unacceptable”
Ravi Thakkar owns multiple homes on Lombardy Circle. A fire hydrant sits near two of his houses.
“You always assume it’s going to work, because the city is taking care of it,” Thakkar told WCNC Charlotte. “It’s just heartbreaking to know there was no water in it when it was actually needed. That’s just unacceptable.”
On May 2, firefighters responded within three minutes to what they would later call an intentionally set fire. However, when they arrived at 6:18 am, scanner traffic reveals they spent precious time scrambling to find a water source.
“The hydrant that we’re at is dead,” a firefighter said over the radio. “We’re not getting any water out of it.”
“We’re out of water,” another radioed.
“Your second hydrant is dead,” a firefighter said.
“It was really a shocker. I was really disturbed,” Thakkar said. “This is a real emergency. This is when you need water and there’s no water in the hydrants? This is just ridiculous.”
It took CFD five minutes to find a usable hydrant
A Charlotte Fire Department spokesperson told WCNC Charlotte, once on scene, it took five minutes for crews to find a working hydrant.
“Upon arrival, firefighters immediately began applying water to the fire using the onboard water carried on fire apparatus,” CFD spokesperson Kevin Campbell said. “This is standard operating procedure until a sustained water supply can be secured. At 6:23 a.m., crews established a water supply from what turned out to be the third hydrant accessed. By 6:28 a.m., multiple water sources had been secured to supply the fire ground.”
Charlotte Water said private contractors working in the area were responsible for the “slight delays,” but a city spokesperson said the agency understands the concerns raised.
“Following the incident, our team conducted a review and determined that recent activity by private contractors in the area had interfered with the water system. Specifically, contractors had been operating hydrants and underground valves improperly, which disrupted normal hydrant function,” Charlotte Water Public Affairs Manager Jennifer Frost said in a statement. “While this was an isolated situation and protocols are in place for the Fire Department should they encounter an inoperable hydrant, we take it seriously and are implementing safeguards to minimize the risk of recurrence, including improved monitoring and more frequent spot-checks of hydrants in areas undergoing construction or utility work.”
Latest problem on Lombardy Circle
Homeowners have complained for months about development activity on their street that has caused water outages, damage and an overall nuisance in the generally quiet neighborhood. Mealie Macmurphy lives across the street from the closest hydrant. She watched as firefighters rolled out their hoses and tried to use the hydrant, but couldn’t get water.
“It was really bad,” Macmurphy said of the scene. “I would expect swift service, which we got. I would expect professional service, which we got and I would expect fire hydrants that work.”
In the past, Charlotte Water has said more than 99% of its hydrants are in service and functioning at any given time.
CFD said firefighters are trained “to proactively identify and prepare secondary hydrants when arriving at a fire scene, in the event the primary hydrant is unavailable or non-functioning.”
Thakkar can’t help but wonder if the delays resulted in more significant fire damage to the neighboring homes.
“If it had been put out quick enough, maybe the heat would not get to the other houses,” he said. “We pay pretty hefty taxes and the expectation is (the hydrant) will work. We are in the heart of the city. It’s not like we are in the outskirts.”
One of his homes, four houses away, suffered several damaged windows due to the initial blast. CFD said it took roughly an hour to get the fire that followed under control.
“Our crews responded quickly to the incident on Lombardy Circle and worked under extremely challenging conditions to protect surrounding homes and ensure public safety,” CFD’s spokesperson added.
The owner of the home in question was arrested more than a week after the fire for being a fugitive from justice. Neighbors notified of a GoFundMe for one of the people who lived next to the home said the explosion sparked a fire in the attic of her rental, which resulted in firefighters spraying water to put out the fire and her ceiling collapsing.
In response to WCNC Charlotte’s reporting, Mayor Pro Tem Danté Anderson, who represents the neighborhood, said the city is taking this matter seriously.
“I am communicating with staff so that we will all have a clear understanding of how this is being addressed…” she said, in part, in a statement emailed to WCNC Charlotte. “…Charlotte Water is fully engaged in investigating the incident and assisting in reviewing the hydrant system to determine what may have contributed to the issue. Charlotte Water has committed to sharing more information as it becomes available.”
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