VIDEO: Fire hose damage by vehicles disrupted firefighting efforts Tuesday and crews could not save a house, Wesley Chapel Fire Dept. said.
“At some point during that process, a vehicle ran over the fire hose,” said Fire Chief Steven McLendon. “They went to turn the fire hydrant on and they noticed the hose had been damaged.”
The agency said the fire hose damage was not an isolated incident in the area, stating they’ve had several fires where people have driven over the fire hose. Wesley Chapel and Waxhaw fire departments responded to Tuesday’s house fire in the area of Cuthbertson and New Town roads.
“The entire thing was just engulfed in flames,” neighbor William Woodall recalled. After finding no one inside the house during a search, firefighting efforts began despite there being no nearby fire hydrants.