Concerns raised over hydrant proximity after fire destroys home in Cabarrus Co.

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - A Cabarrus County home on Guildbrook Road is a total loss after a fire Sunday.

Thankfully, the family of five that lived there wasn’t hurt, but earlier today, off camera, they said they’re grateful for the firefighters who risked their lives, but they wish fire hydrants were closer.

“My kids say the house is burned down, two houses down, I’m like what?” neighbor Natalie Keith said.

Keith was shocked to learn what happened to her neighbor’s home.

It brought back memories of what happened to her family a few years ago.

“We actually had a shed right behind me that burned down, and for just such a small structure, we had about four or five fire trucks,” she said. “So many people came out because, you know, we don’t have city water out here.”

Fire officials said that because of a lack of water supply, additional tankers were requested Sunday, and several fire departments responded.

The closest fire hydrant is about 1.4 miles away.

“Most of the time, unless those cities are providing the hydrants in those areas, the county does not have a provision for that municipal style water system throughout the whole county,” Cabarrus County Fire Services marshal Jacob Thompson said.

Thompson said to get more fire hydrants, the neighborhood would need to use the municipal-style water system. Right now, the neighborhood operates on well water.

Changing the water system is expensive and requires a lot of manpower.

“We train day-in and day-out for these types of situations; we get together quarterly as a county to address this exact situation,” he said.

As Cabarrus County grows, Thompson said he thinks more fire hydrants will be put in more areas.

In the meantime, if you have a pond on your property, let the fire department know.

They could potentially use that as an alternative water supply.

“Being able to have a water source closer is definitely something that I would appreciate,” Keith said.

Thompson said Cabarrus County is working on a formal tanker task force to have trucks ready to go before a fire happens in hopes of streamlining and speeding up response.

Related: Family of 5 loses home to fire in Cabarrus County

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