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Fire hydrants need your help

Nelson Fire and Rescue is asking the community to help dig out fire hydrants.
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Fire hydrants tend to work best when they aren't covered in snow.

As city crews work hard to dig out our community from under the heavy snowfall, Nelson Fire and Rescue Services are asking residents and businesses to help rescue fire hydrants that are buried in the snow.

"Fire hydrants that are covered by snow can create a serious delay in emergency firefighting operations," said fire chief Len MacCharles.

"There are over 300 fire hydrants in the city and dealing with the heavy snowfall may take a few days so those who can assist by digging out hydrants on or near their property will go a long way to help protect their neighbourhood."

The department requests clearing a one-metre space around all fire hydrants and creating a path to it from the road. This will greatly assist firefighters to gain quick access to the valuable water source in the event of a fire.

"These are pretty tough and unusual conditions and it will take a while for everything to return to normal," said MacCharles, "but until then, we want to ensure we can respond and deal with a fire that might occur – community safety is our priority. Thank you for whatever help you can provide."