HOUSTON – A Houston Fire Department District Chief is sharing concerns about water supply across the city following a fire in east Downtown Friday.
District Chief Hunter Schappaugh said his firefighters had a low water supply from the hydrants while battling a blaze at an abandoned warehouse on Congress and Saint Emmanuel Street around midnight.
“We checked all the plugs within like a two-block area and every one of them was just low water pressure. So, what we we’re having to do is drive a few blocks away, fill the pumpers up, and then come back and just shuttle back and forth,” said Schappaugh.
Firefighters said they showed up at the abandoned warehouse that was covered in smoke and flames and tried to put it out. Due to the building not having a roof, firefighters had another hurdle of getting the fire under control, which took about 30 minutes.
Fortunately, no one was hurt, but Schappaugh said the roofing issue paired with the low water pressure issue made things extremely difficult.
“The first hydrant we caught did not supply a really adequate stream. It was a real issue because we couldn’t run as many hand lines or heavy streams as we wanted to,” he explained.
KPRC 2 has reported on water issues all summer.
Council member Sallie Alcorn told her constituents that due to the current drought conditions, the number of leaks across the city has grown to 500 per week. She added that Houston Public Works staff have to address, investigate, and repair 100 to 200 leaks per week.
KPRC 2 reached out to Public Works and HFD chief Sam Peña for a response.