Lack of fire hydrants in some east Pierce County communities creates challenge for firefighters

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PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — For those who live there, Snag Island is paradise.

“It’s very private, you end up feeling like you’re on your own little slice of heaven,” said Chris Leier.

Life took a sudden turn early Saturday morning when Leier got a phone call about a neighbor's house going up in flames.

"At that point, the house was completely gone,” he said.

Leier’s neighbors and friends were barely able to get out, saved by their fire alarms.

“They had 10 seconds from the time they heard it to get out of the house,” said Leier.

East Pierce Fire and Rescue along with other departments brought water tenders each filled with 2,000 gallons of water and their boat.

“We have the fire boat that pumps 500 gallons of water from the lake. That was useful for this fire. We were able to operate on the backside of the house,” said Matt Gilbert who is the assistant chief of operations with East Pierce Fire and Rescue.

The tenders were needed because Snag Island doesn’t have any fire hydrants.

“To see this risk that we live with without a fireman down the street, to see that response level was pretty reassuring," said Leier.

Gilbert said while firefighters pulled water from Lake Tapps, it’s much harder than using a firetruck that pumps 1,500 to 2,000 gallons per minute.

“We have a lot of areas that don’t have fire hydrants, so that’s an obstacle we have to overcome quite often,” said Gilbert.

Leier said adding a water main would cost up to $4 million.

“It would require a huge effort from the community and there are only 85 homeowners here so there’s not a grant out there to supply fire support,” he said.

Firefighter’s response over the weekend solidified one thing.

“It makes me feel reassured that should this happen again there will be some control,” said Leier.

While the family’s home is a loss, Leier said the community is there for them and they are grateful they made it out alive.