‘Let the building burn’: Firemen say water authority banned them from using hydrants

One Pennsylvania fire company said Tuesday that the local water authority barred it from accessing fire hydrants and instead advised firefighters to let a building burn.

The MMP&W Volunteer Fire & Ambulance Co. posted a statement on social media Tuesday, warning that it “should concern everyone” that the Mercersburg Borough’s Water Authority prohibited MMP&W firefighters from using Authority-owned hydrants over water supply concerns. The statement claimed that the Authority called the MMP&W following a Monday incident where the company used an Authority hydrant to fight a barn fire that resulted in several animal deaths and a total loss.

“Due to recent and prolonged cold weather, all available draft sites throughout our response area were frozen and unusable,” MMP&W said. “As a result, crews were forced to rely on fire hydrants located within the Borough of Mercersburg to support firefighting operations.”

“MMP&W was informed that under no circumstances is the fire department permitted to use hydrants owned by the Authority going forward,” MMP&W continued. The company also noted that when it asked what actions it should take regarding future incidents in the borough, “MMP&W was explicitly told to ‘let the building burn,’ and that ‘it is only one building.’”

The Mercersburg Borough did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment, and the MMP&W confirmed a local report and referred the DCNF to its statement.

MMP&W said that while it understands that water systems have challenges, it is concerned for the safety of its community, residents, and firefighters.

“We have consistently attempted to operate within the constraints placed upon us, adapting tactics and planning whenever possible,” MMP&W said. “However, blatant neglect of fire protection planning and the outright denial of emergency water access is not acceptable.”

MMP&W also noted that it previously clashed with the Authority, claiming it removed a hydrant reserved for the fire department’s use in 2025 without notice.

“Since that time, the Authority has made no effort to engage MMP&W regarding fire protection needs, water system limitations, or emergency planning — despite repeated and well-documented concerns,” MMP&W said. “For more than three years, the Authority has not contacted the fire department to discuss fire safety, emergency water supply, or contingency planning. Now, MMP&W is being told that hydrants cannot be used at all during emergencies.”

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