Homeowners Urged to Dig Out Fire Hydrants
After our recent snowstorms, local fire departments are encouraging homeowners to clear around fire hydrants.
On Friday, Maple Grove firefighters put in some work, removing snow around a hydrant along Main Street. It took them about 5 minutes, and that would have been precious time lost during a fire. The city owns over 400 hydrants, while another 1,000 are privately owned. Fire Chief Tim Bush says the city doesn’t have the staff to keep all of the hydrants cleared. So, he’s asking the public to step up and adopt a hydrant.
“The rule of thumb is a clear path into the hydrant and three foot circumference around the hydrant. Because, that three feet allows us to connect the hose, and not have the hose kinked out over a snowdrift,” explained Bush.
The top firefighter also said it’s really hard to remove snow when you’re wearing heavy fire equipment.
All the hydrants are equipped with what’s called “geotags,” so firefighters can easily locate them, even when they are buried in the snow.
