Firefighters Can't Reach House Fire on Remote Island in Florida Keys

A house on an island in the Florida Keys was destroyed by fire this past weekend despite residents' efforts.

No fire engines or firefighters were involved in the operation -- and for good reason. Cook Island is only accessible by boat.

Monroe County Fire Rescue did not immediately respond to the blaze, so after the inferno finally started dissipating, neighbors took action. One neighbor rigged a pump using hoses and sea water from his boat, according to Local 10. 

“We have no way to get to it -- it was really a tragedy,” Chief James Callahan adding that crews eventually got a boater to take them out. "They were able to get us out there close to the island, but we still couldn’t get close enough to get on it. It was so shallow.”

The department, that covers 100 square miles, doesn't have a fire boat.

“We’ve always known there’s problems should there be a fire out here, that comes with the turf. But the fact is, what we didn’t know was that there was no plan should such a situation arise.”

There are no roads. Residents collect rainwater in buckets and barrels and solar panels provide electricity.