KANSAS CITY, Mo. --
A man and his young daughter were able to safely escape after their home at 34th and Charlotte streets caught fire early Monday morning.
Firefighters were called to the area just after 7 a.m.
When crews arrived, the man and his daughter were outside. Both were treated at the scene.
The house was destroyed in the fire.
Firefighters said the home had no heat, and three space heaters were running inside. It is not clear if one of the space heaters sparked the fire.
Fire crews said they had a problem when the first arrived on the scene.
"The first hydrant we caught was frozen up. We couldn't get water out of that. Had to call for an extra company to bring water in from the north side. That made it more of a challenge. It didn't delay the attack on the fire any. Did cause us a little bit of a problem," Kansas City Firefighter Pat Dujakovich said.
A department spokesman said frozen hydrants are not unusual in winter. Hydrants are tested once a year, usually in the fall. When one turns up frozen, it is reported to the City Water Department.
Meanwhile, the fire department dispatcher will tell responders where to find the closest working hydrant next time.
"The extreme cold definitely makes it more challenging to fight fires. Besides the ice in the road trying to get here, then all the water freezing and the toll it takes on our personnel, too," Dujakovich said.
The Red Cross is helping the man and his daughter with a hotel room, food and clothing.
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