A car struck a fire hydrant on Palisades Drive just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday, causing water to shoot high in the air, about a mile north of Sunset Boulevard.
“This particular hydrant was a high-pressure hydrant and is used to ensure sufficient pressure for the hill elevation,” said Station 69 Captain Dan Rodriguez. “These hydrants have a red top.”
Rodriguez told the Palisadian-Post that the driver of the car that sheered the hydrant drove away, but that the car would have damage. “It was a hit-and-run,” he said.
Rodriguez said that once they are on the scene, firefighters are able to cap a hydrant in five to 10 minutes. They then notify DWP, which comes out and replaces the hydrant within the next day or two.
He added that fire hydrants break off easily because the bolts used are hollow, which ensures that underground pipes are not damaged if a hydrant is hit.
Although the hydrant was located close to Station 23 (at Los Liones), firefighters from Station 69 (at Sunset and Carey) were called because they have a hook-and-lader truck that contains the necessary tools to take care of certain emergencies, such as this one.
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