The efforts of Oaks Bluffs firefighters working to put out a New Year's Day house fire were hampered after they discovered a hydrant they attempted to hook their hoses to turned out to be a lawn ornament.
"It was a real fire hydrant," Deputy Chief Tony R. Ferriera told the Martha's Vineyard Patch. "We just didn’t know it wasn’t a working hydrant until we tried to hook up to it."
Crews responded to the fire at 17 Spruce Avenue and were able to stop the flames from spreading to neighboring homes, were unable to save the house it originated in.
Firefighters tried to attach their hoses to a hydrant that was around the corner from the home inside a dog pen and they have been getting a lot of criticism for not knowing it wasn't operational.
"Folks are saying we should know every single working hydrant in the town, and I just feel bad for my guys," Ferriera said. "They're all volunteers and it's kind of hurtful in a way. They work really hard and they save the towns millions of dollars every year."
The fire chief has contacted the water department to find out what the rules and regulations are around owning a fake hydrant.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
