Water woes, location made firefight difficult

A lack of water caused D.C. firefighters to struggle to bring the massive fire that gutted Peggy Cooper Cafritz’s Palisades mansion under control, according to city investigators.

At 8:30 p.m. July 29, about 15 minutes after the fire at 3030 Chain Bridge Road NW was reported, firefighters communicated that “water supply is an issue,” according to a report released by Mayor Adrian Fenty. By 8:45, water supply companies established a mile-long relay of hoses to connect to additional hydrants. Not until 9:30 p.m. did firefighters connect to a main on Rockwood Parkway that “provided the required water needed for this size fire.”