There is a well-worn idiom in our vernacular that perfectly tells today’s story – “A picture is worth a thousand words.” And the image above is about an issue our local firefighters deal with – vehicles illegally parked next a fire hydrant. It can become a life-or-death issue for people in a home on fire or for firefighters who run into fires instead of away from them.
This picture was taken this past Sunday morning about 4:30 a.m. by Knoxville Fire Dept. (KFD) Asst. Chief Mark Wilbanks, KFD’s public information officer. The fire was in a home at 3000 Linden Ave. that’s in a heavily populated residential neighborhood.
The fire hose “will” get to the hydrant.
Wilbanks wrote in his news report about this fire: “… KFD had difficulty establishing a water supply because a car was parked next to the closest fire hydrant (right in front of the home). This situation creates a major problem for crews on the scene and delays firefighting efforts. The home did not have working smoke alarms. The home has suffered significant smoke, water and fire damage.”
Luckily, only one of the home’s three occupants suffered a minor injury.
When this happens, and the next nearest hydrant may be 1,000 feet away and lives are risk, firefighters will quickly run the hose from the hydrant through the car windows to get water on the fire as quickly as possible, as they did here.
“This is a big problem for us in big neighborhoods, especially those closer to downtown and in the Fort Sanders and UT areas,” Wilbanks said. “And on any football game day it happens a lot. Our pumper engines carry about 500 gallons of water and in a working fire that lasts about 10 minutes. So, if another pumper hasn’t arrived to help, we must have access to the hydrants.”
If KFD sees a vehicle parked next to a hydrant it will be towed to the city’s impound lot. The owner will be cited and must pay a $166 towing/storage fee for the first 24 hours. After that it’s an additional $20 a day. Plus, the owner must pay a $26 fine to the city for parking illegally next to a hydrant.
The message from Wilbanks and KFD – be aware of the fire hydrants and keep them accessible for the firefighters … and save money in the process.
Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia. You can email him at the link with his name or text him at 865-659-3562.
