
A Florida fire extinguishing company says a man who claims he found his water heating system leaking found out that the leak was real when the Florida Fire Department called him.
State Fire Marshal John Cone says the company has received numerous complaints of leaking water heaters.
The homeowner told the Florida Times-Union he first noticed the problem in the fall of 2017.
He said he was home alone and his wife went into the bathroom when he heard the water running, but he didn’t realize it was coming from the ceiling until he came back out.
“I thought it was normal water coming from a faucet,” he said.
“I thought, ‘That’s it.'”
The problem was discovered on Sept. 23.
Cone said the water heater has been in a maintenance room since.
The water heater is located on a property that has been designated as a fire hazard.
The fire marshal says it is unclear whether there is a connection between the leaking water heater and the blaze that destroyed the property.
The company said in a statement that they are working with the Florida Department of Health and the state to determine the cause.