A fire engine ran out of water before a second engine crew was able to re-establish a water supply to fight a fatal fire in Elgin this year, according to documents obtained by The Courier-News.
Elgin fire Chief David Schmidt said that, according to radio communications, firefighters at the scene were without water for 77 seconds while trying to extinguish the blaze in a mobile home in which a 63-year-old man died.
"There are multiple variables happening on each and every call that affect the outcome of an incident," Schmidt said. Department guidelines recommend the first engine on the scene hook up a hose to the water it carries, Schmidt said. When the second engine arrives on the scene, it connects a line from a hydrant to the first engine there, creating a continuous flow of water, Schmidt said.