HUNTERS CREEK, Fla. – A woman continues to recover nearly two months after her Orange County home burned down while the nearest fire hydrant malfunctioned.
The fire broke out Oct. 26 on Buckhorn Run Court in Hunters Creek.
The homeowner, Wendy Chen, who’s now staying with her sister, said she did not have insurance and suffered losses of over $800,000.
“I lost almost everything, but I am happy I was able to save some of my (musical) instruments, and no one got hurt,” Chen said.
Orange County Fire Rescue confirmed to News 6 that the nearest fire hydrant was not working the day of the fire.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
OCFR released a statement about the incident.
“Orange County Utilities (OCU) and Orange County Fire Rescue (OCFR) routinely work together on all hydrants in the OCU service area.
“OCU and OCFR conduct annual testing of over 12,000 hydrants in the water system.
“According to our records, the hydrants in the area near that late October house fire were exercised in March 2024 by OCU and September 2024 by OCFR. No issues were found with any of these hydrants during the routine checks, and no hydrants were identified as out of service in Hunters Creek in late October.
“Records also show thorough coordination about this hydrant, which was reported to OCU by OCFR as inoperable following the October 26 fire.
“Fortunately, another hydrant was available near the one that was disabled. This enabled OCFR to access water needed to respond to the incident.
“On Monday, October 28, OCU investigated and found the hydrant was inoperable because of a mechanical issue with an internal component. The team also tested the other nearby hydrants and found them all functioning normally. OCU repaired the hydrant on Wednesday, October 30, and it was placed back into service.
“OCU and OCFR remain committed to public safety, and we are always looking for opportunities to improve processes.
Chen said she knows the firefighters did the best job they could.
“I am so hurt, so devastated by the fire, although I try to remain optimistic,” she added.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist Chen.