Wow a lot of great responses here already. I'll try not to repeat anything that was already said. I read that article after thr Somers fire and the lack of water supply issue mentioned stood out to me as well. Though I cannot comment on the state of water supply prior to my arrival (I was on one of the mutual aid trucks dispatched after the fire was confirmed) I know there were other issues at play in this specific instance. For example, we had difficulty because the Somers first due engine would not draft from the portable ponds, which was later determined to be due to a frozen valve. This caused a break in water supply to the scene for probably 5-10 minutes while the issue was isolated and another engine backed in and drafting. Of course water supply is always more challenging in an area with no hydrants, but by the time the tanker shuttle was running smoothly, it seemed we were barely pushing a tanker evey 10-15 minutes. The extreme cold hasn't been much help either. From freezing dump chute vales to blowing air brake tanks to frozen tire chains, the weather has complicated water ops as well as other aspects of firefighting. Great job to everyone continuing to brave the weather to get the job done and improvising when necessary.