Firefighters had to haul in water Wednesday morning as they battled a Cave Creek house fire, despite nearby hydrants.
The hydrants on 26th Street, near Saddle Mountain Road, had tags on them saying they were out of service.
ABC15 took action asking why the town has inoperable hydrants in the area. Fire officials said this is a rare occurrence and that the hydrants never worked.
"There are some improvements along that stretch of 26th Street," said Rural Metro spokesman Shawn Gilliland. "They just have not been attached to the existing infrastructure."
Cave Creek's town manager says a developer installed the hydrants while planning to build a new subdivision, but the project was stalled when the housing market crashed eight years ago.
Rural Metro fire trucks contain maps showing all hydrants noting which, if any, need repairs.
"They know where they can find water sources in that area, whether it be a stand pipe or an active hydrant around the corner," Gilliland said.
The pregnant owner of the destroyed home told authorities she may have accidently left her grill going on the deck.
