Prince George’s County firefighters believe they may have been able stop an apartment fire in Lanham from spreading to multiple buildings if they had had better access to different fire hydrants.
The cause of the fire, which broke out in the 5300 block of 85th Avenue at around 3:30 p.m. Monday, is still under investigation. Here is what caused the problem – according to firefighters, the hydrants closest to the fire are only connected to a four-inch water main, meaning they weren’t large enough to pump out the amount of water required to extinguish such a large blaze.
Instead, firefighters connected their hoses to hydrants about one-quarter of a mile away on 85th Avenue and Annapolis Road.