I'm sure it was a very difficult job for the TFD. I would assume some smaller fire departments around the lake depend on drafting water for the lack of hydrants. Even with a hydrant you have the difficulty of locating it under snow, then hoping the hydrant isn't frozen or dead. Fighting fires up here is so so so different than in Boston or other big cities. So many obstacles and very little ability to pre plan.
Most fire trucks carry 500 or 750 gallons of water. If you don't have a water source tied in and flowing into the tank you have about 2 minutes of water. That makes an aggressive attack or a rescue almost impossible. It's hard to draft water from a frozen lake and setting up drafting takes a lot of time, it's a nightmare scenario. I don't expect there are a lot of fires in wooded areas that end without total destruction of the home. I'd be curious to know how living in such homes affects the cost for home owner insurance for fire damage.
The first thing I would do, as a home owner in a house like the one with the tragedy, is have extinguishers at the ready. Being able to knock down a small fire may be the difference between damage and total destruction.
I've never really sat back and thought about how they fight fire up here. The more I think the more I respect these small town departments with small budgets and man power.
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