A pipe system designed to carry water from a street hydrant to the inside of an office building where a firefighter died battling a blaze appears to have been working, the Fire Department's commander said Friday.
In his first interview since the July 28 fire, department Chief Scott Burnette said the standpipe system at 445 Biltmore Avenue will be investigated, though he has no indication of problems.
“It is critical to us to understand whether or not that was functioning as it was designed,” he said. “We have no information, as of today, that there were issues with that standpipe system.”
Nearly 25 minutes passed from the time the first trucks left their stations about 12:30 p.m. until a crew reported they were finally putting water on the blaze from a ladder truck, according to recordings later published on a website.
Firefighters, in a recording of their transmissions during the fire, repeatedly made references to a lack of water.
Capt. Jeff Bowen, a 13-year department veteran, died from cardiac arrest after exposure to heat and smoke.
Federal investigators said Thursday that the fire had been deliberately set.
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