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Crews from the Poughkeepsie Fire Department were dispatched to a Garden Street residence at approximately 9:45 p.m. on Sunday night, where there were reports of a fire inside an apartment of the two-story house.
When crews arrived to battle the blaze, however, they were met with overflowing garbage and debris at the nearest fire hydrant, which impeded their ability to douse the flames in water, though the fire was swiftly knocked down and contained to one apartment in the residence.
Fire officials said that the debris blocked the driver’s view of the hydrant, and they had to move to a second hydrant 150 feet away. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, but nine residents were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross to find temporary housing.
“A blocked or covered fire hydrant can delay establishing a constant supply of water for several minutes,” according to fire officials. “Connecting to a hydrant quickly is critical as our trucks carry a very limited supply, some as little as 300 gallons in their onboard tanks.“
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