Street fire hydrants – what you need to know

Often poorly marked signage means firefighters struggle to locate fire hydrants when time is of the essence.

May 5, 2023

Emily Wellman Bain 2 minutes read

This hydrant box was full of soil making it difficult for the firefighters to access and test. Photo: Emily Wellman Bain

It is critically important to identify the nearest municipal fire hydrant to your home, business, or other important structure. In the event of a fire emergency, access to these water sources is vital and every second counts.

In theory, every 200m or less, on every street, should be a Joburg Water fire hydrant that can be used by the fire department to extinguish a blaze.

A ‘stand pipe’ fire hydrant is connected to a hose that feeds water to the fire truck. Photo: Emily Wellman Bain

Water is fed via a hose from the hydrant to the fire engine, which then enables firefighters to use high-pressure ‘attack lines’ to battle the flames.

Here is a handy guide to help you:

Badly faded yellow and red lines with a small diamond signal that a fire hydrant is close by. Photo: Emily Wellman Bain

There are two types of Johannesburg Water fire hydrants.

The easier one of the two to identify is the yellow and red pole that sticks out of pavements.
The lesser known, but equally important, are the yellow lids dotted at street level on pavements. Beneath the lids are access points to the water hydrant pipes below the ground. These are also the ones that residents tend to either ignore or in some cases, damage. This is independent of wanton vandalism by people who sell parts for scrap metal. These hydrants are often obscured by lush vegetation or completely covered by paving et cetera.
A below-ground fire hydrant in Roosevelt Park is full of soil and other debris which damages the fire truck mechanics when sent through the system. Photo: Emily Wellman Bain

In this case, they become difficult for firefighters to identify in a situation where every second literally counts. This can have devastating consequences for the person affected by a blaze.

Along one verge the yellow lid of a below-ground fire hydrant is easy to miss due to the encroaching lawn. Photo: Emily Wellman Bain

The second issue is how poorly marked the majority are for fire trucks to easily find the closest hydrant to the scene of a fire.

There are two other ways to identify the location of fire hydrants, although their efficacy is limited as many are unmarked.

For those that are, a blue reflective Cats Eye stud should be on the road near the hydrant.

Blue Cats Eyes should indicate the location of fire hydrants across the city, however, many hydrants lack any identification at all.

Some poles have yellow and red lines with a small diamond painted on them, but these are generally faded and not maintained.

If either of these is in front of your home or business, please ensure the following:

n No signage, barrier, or other physical item is placed near the hydrant to ensure ease of access

n No plants or grass are growing close to the hydrant, which may make it harder to see, especially the below-ground ones

n Regularly check to see if there are leaks or damage, which must be reported to JW.

If you have a water hydrant in front of your house, regardless of the type, try to avoid lush vegetation or plants that may make it difficult to find in an emergency. Photo: Emily Wellman Bain

In an emergency, especially at night when there is a fire, knowing where your nearest hydrant is can make all the difference in getting the fire department connected to the precious liquid to save your home and belongings.