By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

This and another hydrant were marked "Out of service" after firefighters couldn't get them to work at a blaze in Mason Wednesday that destroyed three condominiums (background). (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

MASON - Firefighters rushed to a condominium fire early Wednesday only to find the two closest fire hydrants were inoperable.

That delayed firefighting 15 minutes. In the end, three condos were destroyed with total damage estimated at $1.5 million, Mason officials said.

The occupants safely escaped the 1:30 a.m. blaze at 371 Walnut Lane near the Golf Center country club.

By Wednesday afternoon, Mason fire officials and Greater Cincinnati Water Works staffers - who were responsible for maintaining the hydrants - were meeting to investigate the hydrant failure.

Both hydrants checked out when they were inspected in August, Water Works officials said. One worked perfectly; the other was operable, but difficult to use, said Paul Tomes, Water Works chief engineer.

"Why they didn't work last night, we don't know at this time,'' Mr. Tomes said.

Both hydrants will be replaced, but firefighters at the scene Wednesday morning remained concerned.

"It could have possibly been a strange chain of events,'' Mason Fire Chief Rich Fletcher said. "At any given time a hydrant can break down, and it is unusual that we would have two hydrants in a row go down on us.''

Firefighters were forced to use hydrants about 500 feet away from the condos.

About 40 firefighters from more than a half-dozen departments in Warren and Butler counties responded to the blaze, which was burning through the roof of the condo and spreading as they arrived, firefighters said. Crews remained on the scene into Wednesday afternoon.

Five people were displaced by the fire, the deputy chief said. None could be reached for comment Wednesday.

The Ohio State Fire Marshal's office is investigating the fire because of the blaze's size.

Water Works took over responsibility for Mason's water system in March and is required to check hydrants annually, Mr. Tomes said. About 90 percent of hydrants already have been inspected; the rest will be checked in the next several weeks.

"(This situation was) very unfortunate and, obviously, we're very concerned about the loss of property,'' Mr. Tomes said.

Until Water Works acquired the Mason system in March, the city of 22,000 maintained its own hydrants and operated its own water and delivery system, said Jennifer Trepal, city spokeswoman.

The city, whose population doubled from 1990 to 2000, contracted with the larger municipal water and sewer provider after deciding it was the best long-term solution for a community growing so dramatically, Ms. Trepal said. Water Works serves most of Hamilton County, and portions of Butler and Clermont.

The secluded complex where the fire broke out is surrounded by the Golf Center off Kings Mills Road.

The three units destroyed by the fire were valued at between $87,000 and $101,000, Warren County property tax records show. The one in which the fire started sold in March for $100,000.

E-mail daveck@enquirer.com