Three homes were destroyed after a fast-moving fire broke out Thursday night on a California island with a closed fire station.
Because of the lack of a station, it took firefighters 12 to 15 minutes to respond to the Bethel Island blaze, KPIX-TV reports. Other challenges crews faced included fire hydrants limited to the island's main street, forcing firefighters to string a hose to a nearby levee and use water from the river.
“Due to budget cuts, this station was closed on this island among other stations in our district,” said East Contra Costa Fire Battalion Chief Ross MacCumber told KPIX, adding that a new station is still being built, but the department couldn't staff it if it was open.
No one was hurt in the fire. The blaze burned down two homes, and while the third house was still standing, it was still determined to be a total loss, according to the TV station.
A similar incident happened shortly after Bethel Island's station closed. Two homes had burned down during a fire on the same street in 2013.
