Water company had no duty to maintain hydrant

Without an express contractual agreement, the mere presence of a fire hydrant near a property did not require a private water company to foresee that a fire loss might occur if some latent defect in the hydrant rendered it inoperable, according to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma. When a fire occurred at their home and a nearby hydrant was found to be inoperable, the Roses sued for damages and lost. The appellate court upheld the decision that the water company had no duty to inspect or maintain the hydrant.