FORT MYERS, Fla. --- Fire crews were busy Monday, putting out a fire that caused a roof to collapse in Fort Myers.
According to Lee County Public Safety the fire broke out after 4 p.m. Monday at the 6200 block of Scott Lane in Fort Myers.
Multiple emergency crews from several agencies responded to the fire are on the scene.
Fire crews said 2 people were inside at the time of the fire and got out safely. The family's cats and dogs were also able to get out of the house.
Investigators said the fire started in the attic. The family told Four in Your Corner and AC technician was working on a unit near the attic when the fire sparked.
"Heavy smoke in the attic with heavy flames," Amy Bollen of South Trail Fire & Rescue said. "They tried to go in and make entry, but at that point, the conditions deteriorated and became dangerous to have crews on the interior."
What made the fire even more difficult for first responders was the lack of fire hydrants in the area.
"We have over 2,000 feet of five-inch that's had to be laid out to hook up to our closest fire hydrant, and all of our lines, ladder operations, everything is working off of this one five-inch line," Bollen said.
More than 2,000 feet of hose was pieced together and ran though almost the entirety of Scott Lane. Bollen said it would be best for people living in the area, and firefighters, to have hydrants on this street.
"To get water safer and faster to the fire, they had to pull all of this hose," Bollen said.
In July of 2017, a woman died in a house fire on the same street.
"It was like having that thing from last year happen all over again. We were all really worried about what was going on," Tori Weller, a neighbor, said.
She said it may be time to consider adding hydrants to keep her neighborhood safe.
"In the back of your head, you're always thinking 'Is this enough?'" Weller said. "Too many people for one area for one thing to go on."
Scott lane is a county-maintained road. Four in Your Corner reached out to see if there are any plans to add fire hydrants in the future and why there aren't any now.
Neighbors said the lot where the house caught fire today had a house burn to the ground back in 1991.
