CA Firefighters Break Car Window to Get to Hydrant

In order to connect a hose to a fire hydrant at a residential fire, California firefighters were forced to break the window of an illegally parked car Tuesday.

"This is a real life example of why not to park in front of a fire hydrant,"  Anaheim Fire and Rescue stated in a post on social media that featured photos of what the firefighters needed to do at the scene. "Not only is there the cost of the windows, but also fines and potential towing fees. Is it really worth it?" 

Crews responded to an apartment fire at 6:22 a.m., and they encountered an illegally parked car blocking access to the only fire hydrant at the scene, the department said. Because the apartment was actively on fire, the firefighters needed to break the back windows and run the hose through to connect it.

The fire, which was contained to the kitchen, took just more than 15 minutes to put out, according to the department. An adult and six children were displaced by the blaze.

"A few people have asked why not run the hose over, under, or around the car? If that was really a feasible alternative we wouldn’t need #noparking zones in front of fire hydrants," the department stated.

"This post is not meant to humiliate, it is meant to illustrate and educate the very real consequences of blocking a fire hydrant."