NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Channel 4 I-Team found it happening in Davidson County, Wilson County and now Robertson County: Homes, completely burned, set in front of what's considered low-flow fire hydrants.

Video: Low-Flow Fire Hydrants Tested Throughout Nashville

"They were just pretty much yard ornaments," said Mount Juliet resident Allen Barry.

"Personally, I think they're in a severe danger," said Rep. Gary Moore.

Lawmakers and fire safety experts are coming forward, saying homeowners are paying the price for a lack of foresight from city planners.

"I hope we don't make the same mistake today," said Ray Crouch, fire safety consultant.

The Channel 4 I-Team first started investigating these low-flow fire hydrants -- signified by their black caps -- three months ago. Nearly 600 hydrants were found in Davidson County that don't meet international standards for water flow.

A hydrant is supposed to have a minimum 1,000 gallons per minute. Low-flow hydrants have 500 gallons per minute or less. That means they don't produce enough water for firefighters to adequately fight the fire.

The water flow on the hydrant nearest to a home that burned in Greenbriar flowed at 240 gallons per minute -- 360 gallons less than the accepted minimum flow.

Greenbriar's fire chief said he knew immediately the fire was so large that the low-flow hydrant wouldn't make a dent.

Trucks were relied on to shuttle from the closest minimum flow hydrant.

"I do not count on a red cap. Your pressure on that is going to be 0 to 500," said Greenbriar Fire Chief Billy Wilson. "That's not enough."

Fire safety experts and lawmakers interviewed by the I-Team blame poor city planning for the low-flow hydrants across middle Tennessee. They said cities ensured homes had enough water pressure for showers and toilets but not enough for adequate firefighting flow.

"I think that's a travesty," said Moore, a Democrat from Joelton.

Moore is also a full-time firefighter and wants Metro's Water Department to improve the water grid to provide minimum water flow to every street.

"They neglected to provide adequate water throughout these communities," Moore said.

The I-Team learned the Metro Water Department has hired an independent firm to analyze its water grid, in part, to try to improve water flow to areas with low-flowing hydrants.

Fire experts said every community in middle Tennessee must wake up to this problem because when firefighters arrive at a burning home, a low-flow hydrant is a handicap they can't afford.

"If we don't address it," Crouch said, "we're just postponing the problem."

A water department spokeswoman said right now, all the black cap hydrants in the county are being tested to see just how low they're flowing and to identify how many of these hydrants need to be worked on to improve water flow.