Fire Hydrant Clearance
Can you find the fire hydrant near your home or business? If not, it could be obscured by bushes, trees, landscaping, or snow and ice. If a fire were to occur, firefighters would have to waste time probing bushes, foliage, or snow and ice for a hydrant, then hack their way to it. By the time water supply was established, the effective period for an initial attack on the fire would be long past.
Clearance Codes
The fire code places the responsibility for fire hydrant clearance on the property owner. Vegetation, landscaping, and snow and ice are to be maintained at all times so as not to impede the clear visibility of the hydrant from all directions. Furthermore, a minimum clearance of 3 feet must be maintained around the hydrant to allow safe operation by fire personnel.
