About 15 families displaced at Governors House Apartments as firefighters report problems with privately maintained hydrants
SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
About 15 families lost their homes Halloween night after fire swept through a building at Governors House Apartments in southwest Huntsville, and firefighters say the complex’s own hydrants did not work as they should.
Huntsville Fire & Rescue was called around 10:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, to the complex at 4611 Governors House Drive SW, near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, WAFF reported. Eight to 10 units responded. The fire destroyed one 16-unit building but did not spread to nearby buildings despite wind, according to WZDX.
“We ran into some hydrant issues, some problems maintaining hydrants from the apartment complex,” Huntsville Fire & Rescue Capt. Cory Green told WZDX.
Huntsville Fire & Rescue said the complex’s privately maintained hydrant system was not working properly, WHNT reported. The complex did not respond to WHNT’s request for comment.
No injuries were reported. The causes of both the fire and the hydrant failure remain under investigation.
The American Red Cross and apartment management are helping displaced residents.
Huntsville Fire & Rescue told WAFF it had been told the hydrants were up to date, but officials said they cannot yet say what went wrong. The complex had not said when the hydrants were last inspected.
“We have to maintain a water supply for us to put out any kind of major fire,” said Justin McKenzie, a board member of the Alabama Firefighters Association.
The hydrant problems raise questions for every renter in Huntsville: Who inspects fire hydrants on private property, and how often? When a hydrant belongs to a property owner rather than the city, residents may not know whether it has been tested.
Renters who are worried about fire safety at their complex can ask management for recent inspection records and contact Huntsville Fire & Rescue’s Fire Marshal’s Office with concerns.