NMB Fire Rescue sees uptick in blocked fire hydrants

By Ruben Lowman

Blocked fire hydrants are on the rise in North Myrtle Beach and it is increasingly becoming a regular problem for first responders in the city. 

NMB Fire Rescue is commonly encountering blocked fire hydrants whenever they respond to service calls, and officials with the department said they are having more issues when attempting to put out fires in the city and surrounding areas. NMBFR spokesman/fire inspector Jay Ortiz said they have seen a range of different problems recently. 

“We have seen a wide variety of issues surrounding the fire hydrants in our city,” Ortiz said. “We have had trees planted up against them, sheds built or placed right beside them, shrubbery/plants planted all around them to cover them up, property fencing placed right beside them and parking spots placed right in front of them which blocks access.”

Ortiz said the department wanted residents and visitors to be aware that they always need to keep fire hydrants free of obstruction, as they are vital to the function and operation of the fire department on a daily basis. He said it is important for everyone to follow the international fire code clearances for fire hydrants, which are three-feet around it on all sides, as well as six-feet clearance from curbs and streets. 

“The importance of following the proper clearance is accessibility. The water supply is the lifeline to putting the fire out in a timely manner. Every second counts in a structure fire,” Ortiz explained. “The faster we can access a water supply, the faster we can put the fire out. 

Ortiz said another issue that arises is that the department may pass by a hydrant they couldn’t see and have to connect to one that is further away from the fire scene, causing a delay in time and the department having to use additional resources. He said that going forward the department would simply like for compliance to the proper clearances, as something as small as a couple feet is vitally important to helping protect the community. That begins with raising awareness of the growing issue. 

“We hope to see compliance through education,” Ortiz said. “The more awareness we promote for the clearance of our fire hydrants, the better chance we have of 100 percent compliance. The job we do is for the safety of our community, our desire is to do this to the best of our ability. In order for us to accomplish that, we need to educate the public so that we are all on the same page.”