Dry hydrants blamed for destroyed homes

YORBA LINDA, Calif., Nov. 22 (UPI) -- As many as five homes were lost to wildfire this month in a Southern California neighborhood because there were no water in the fire hydrants, officials said.

Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion said firefighters found they had no water when they hooked up hoses to hydrants in Hidden Hills Estates and were forced to leave the upscale Yorba Linda homes to burn, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

"They decided to fight the fire where they had water," Concepcion said, explaining why firefighters retreated.

Officials of the Yorba Linda Water District, which maintains the water system for the area, said although upper Hidden Hills Estates had suffered weak water pressure the past several months, they said the problems Nov. 15 were due to the overwhelming water demands.