The Lake Valley Fire Protection District announces its “Adopt a Fire Hydrant” program.
The Lake Valley Fire Protection District has over 1000 fire hydrants within its borders. It is impossible for fire crews to shovel and maintain all of them in a timely manner. The California Fire Code addresses keeping fire hydrants free of obstructions and immediately identifiable.
The Lake Valley Fire Protection District strives to ensure all hydrants are clear, marked, and accessible in the event of a fire. Winter time makes this job very hard and during heavy snow the district is forced to clear key hydrants first. Some hydrants unfortunately may remain buried all winter.
The Fire District is asking community members to adopt the hydrant closest to their home or business and keep it clear of snow and debris so that together we can help to make our community safer. In the event of a small fire that is reported in a timely manner, the water carried by fire engines is usually sufficient. If a fire is too large for the water carried on an engine, a water source that is easily found can make a difference in keeping the fire from spreading to a neighboring property. Combining safe practices like installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, maintaining defensible space, and keeping your closest hydrant clear can prevent unnecessary property damage.
The Lake Valley Fire Protection District appreciates the members of our community that already maintain hydrants in their neighborhood and encourages everyone to participate.
If you notice a fire hydrant that is not marked with a snow stake please contact the Fire Marshal Chad Stephen at (530) 577-3737 or by email at [email protected].
When maintaining a hydrant, a three foot clear space should be maintained around the hydrant and to the roads edge. Below is an example of hydrants being cleared by helpful citizens of our community.
Lake Valley Fire Protection District, Fire Chief Brad Zlendick said that “the Fire District’s adopt a fire hydrant program is an important step in assuring that firefighters have access to an adequate water supply in the event of a fire”.
The Lake Valley Fire Protection District has its website at www.lakevalleyfire.org. Check out the website for information on the many services the Fire District is proud to offer to the community.