ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Officials at the Rock Island Fire Department are asking residents to clear fire hydrants of snow and debris at least three feet in all directions.
Recent snow storms and high winds have buried or blocked hundreds of fire hydrants in Rock Island, potentially blocking firefighters' access to water in an emergency. If firefighters can't get to fire hydrants right away, lives and property are put at greater risk, fire department officials said.
"When they're completely covered in snow, manpower that could be fighting the fire or could be making rescues now is working with shovels and digging to try and clear those," Fire Marshal Greg Marty said.
Fire Marshal Marty says the amount of fires has drastically risen since temperatures dropped. He added that digging out the fire hydrant could take three to five minutes of precious time.
"Any help we can get to get that job done ahead of time saves lives and property, there's no doubt about it," Marty said.
Rock Island fire engines carry 500 gallons of water, but that runs out in less than three minutes when extinguishing a fire. Large fires require access to fire hydrants, which can output 200 to 300 gallons of water a minute when using a fire hose, according to a press release.