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NY firefighters unable to get enough water at fatal fire

Fire Chief Paul Linnertz had been speaking with engineers from the city water department about the problem, but he hadn’t heard about the outcome

By Marnie Eisenstadt
Syracuse.com

SYRACUSE, N.Y.— Firefighters who fought the fatal blaze on Clairemonte Avenue early Sunday couldn’t get enough water, said Syracuse fire union president Lonnie Johnson.

Johnson said he didn’t think the lack of water pressure contributed to the fire being fatal or to the injuries of five firefighters. The first firefighters on the scene were able to get into the building with what’s called an attack hose with no problem, he said.

They were pulled out a short time later because the fire was too hot. It had likely been burning for some time, said Johnson, who was not on the scene. But when firefighters set up to attack the fire from the outside, they couldn’t get enough water to douse it, Johnson said.

Full story: Syracuse firefighters couldn’t get enough water at fatal fire