'Inoperable Hydrants' Hamper Effort To Fight North Minneapolis House Fire

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Non-functioning hydrants gave Minneapolis firefighters an added challenge Monday evening in battling a blaze in a vacant Near North home.

Crews were called to the 1800 block of Bryant Avenue North just before 6 p.m. to a boarded-up house. After attempting to fight the fire from inside the home, crews evacuated and changed their strategy to what the department referred to as a "defensive exterior attack" on their Twitter account.

The fight then switched to protecting and evacuating the residences on either side of the home.

After three hours, the fire was finally under control just after 9 p.m. Officials say no one was hurt. The cause of the fire is under investigation.