Disabled hydrants, Lake Street construction hamper Uptown Minneapolis house fire fight

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Fire Department crews had a difficult time finding working hydrants to keep a large house fire from spreading early Wednesday morning in Uptown.

Crews were called out to a house off James Avenue South and West Lake Street at about midnight, just east of Bde Maka Ska.

Deputy Chief Rita Juran says firefighters found flames on the second and third floor. She says the only person who lived in the house got out safely.

Juran says crews kept the flames from spreading to surrounding buildings, but it wasn't easy because of all the construction in Uptown.

"We've got fire hydrants all the way up and down Lake Street that are shut off, so our crews who are trying to hook up water for our aerial ladder were looking for hydrants, all of them shut off," Juran said. "We had to bump out to Lagoon in order to find a hydrant that would work. We're also having water pressure issues, however the crews made it work here. They did an awesome job with an aggressive attack."

Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.