City of Davis

Blocked Fire Hydrants

Obstructed fire hydrants are a problem in Davis. There are more than 1600 hydrants in town. With increasingly difficult parking, space in front of the hydrants often is blocked by parked vehicles.

Motorists in a hurry see an open parking space on a congested street. They see the space, but not the hydrant. Others may see the hydrant, but take a calculated risk of getting a ticket. If the cop writes a citation, the motorist can claim the curb was not marked red. This doesn’t legalize the situation, of course, since vehicles cannot park legally within 15 feet of a hydrant, regardless of curb marking.

The Davis Fire Department converges on a serious fire at least once a month. A critical step in controlling any fire is to apply water quickly to the fire. This water must come from the nearest hydrant. Every second counts; a delay of just 10-15 seconds can mean the difference between a rapid “stop” and a devastating loss.

The chance of any hydrant being used on a given day is small. But if your house or place of employment is threatened by fire, wouldn’t you want to give the Fire Department every break possible? Please give your firefighters a break – don’t block our hydrants!