Water Supply Difficult to Access at Irving House Fire

Firefighters had a difficult time accessing the water supply to extinguish the flames shooting from a house fire in Irving on Friday.

Nearby golfers spotted the fire at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the 300 block of Steeplechase Drive and called 911.

When crews arrived, flames were shooting through the roof of the home. The roof eventually collapsed.

The two-alarm fire was difficult to fight, officials said, because the house was at the end of the street and far away from the nearest fire hydrant.

The size of the house also hindered their efforts, as did the soaring temperatures. The high temperature Friday in North Texas reached 104 degrees, making it the hottest day of the year so far.

"For a while, we thought the fire was going to get away from us," said Batt. Chief Heidle Baskin, with the Irving Fire Department. "With a little bit of a south wind, and it came through the roof. The flames were getting bigger and bigger, and we were limited to how we could make access inside."

The homeowner told investigators she went to the grocery store and when she came back, her house was on fire.

Rescue crews said woman was so distraught about the fire at her home, she was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

Her dog was inside the home, but was not hurt. Her husband was out of town.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

NBC 5's Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

Contact Us