Do cars blocking hydrants stop firefighters?

Parking enforcement officer Matt Miller walks off how far away this car is from this fire hydrant on lower Queen Anne on Tuesday May 25, 2004. The car was parked too close and received a ticket. (Scott Eklund/P-I)

Q: My neighbor parked directly in front of a fire hydrant and said he can’t move his truck because it’s surrounded by snow piles. The chances of him getting towed or ticketed are slim.

Is that a huge problem for firefighters? Can they still access fire hydrants if people are parked in front of them? Will vehicles be damaged if there is a fire?

A: It’s a problem for firefighters, but it’s shouldn’t prevent them from doing their job.

“Firefighters will do whatever they need to do to get to the hydrant,” Seattle fire department spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen.

Though I haven’t seen it here, I’ve heard examples of firefighters breaking driver and passenger windows in a car and putting the hose through to access the hydrant.

In some cases, firefighters go around the vehicle.

Vehicles must be 15 feet away from hydrants, according to state and city law. The fine in Seattle is $38 and varies in other cities.

A towing bill can cost a few hundred dollars.

Best advice: Kindly approach your neighbor and ask him to move the truck, police say. Helping him shovel the snow would be a nice gesture on Christmas, too.


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  • Questions may be edited or paraphrased.

    Casey McNerthney