Fire Destroys Piedmont Home, No Water Source Nearby

Firefighters are blaming a lack of water for a tough battle on an overnight house fire near NW 164^th and Piedmont Rd. Luckily nobody was home when the fire ignited and investigators are still trying to determine what caused it.

The house has been deemed a total loss. When the first crews arrived on scene from the Oklahoma City Fire Department, the house was fully engulfed so they went on the defensive.

The closest fire hydrant was about ¾ mile away from the house. They had to shuttle water from that hydrant to the scene of the fire using three tankers.

Karen Rowland, who lived in the home, told News 9 she was staying at her brother's house because a pipe in the house recently broke due to the cold weather. While almost everything inside the house was charred, Rowland said she was just happy nobody was hurt.

Deputy Chief Marc Woodard with the Oklahoma City Fire Department said crews have faced several similar challenges on recent home fires in more rural areas where hydrants were not in the neighborhood.

Woodard says homeowners in these houses should consider taking steps to prevent fires such as installing home sprinkler systems or creating a water source nearby like a pond.