PITTSBURGH — When a home catches fire, every minute matters. Firefighters rely on fire hydrants at the scene to put out the fire quickly. But when the equipment fails, the results can be devastating.
Over the years, Channel 11 has shown you the aftermath of some of these fires. For example, a home in Buffington near Uniontown was destroyed in October 2022. The roof collapsed. Firefighters trying to put out the blaze were hindered by nearby hydrants that weren’t working properly.
Just this March, Jeanette firefighters fought desperately to put out a house fire but had trouble getting enough water from the closest hydrant.
“The first hydrant that we hit gave us a little bit of water but not even enough to make it up the hill to the scene,” said Chief Billy Frye.
A father and four of his children died in that fire.
Local officials said the hydrants …