HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – According to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, several communities on Oahu have either no fire hydrants or none at all. The Honolulu Fire Department says many measures have already been taken to protect the hydrants.
According to BWS, determining the appropriate distance between hydrants depends exclusively on the zoning.
According to BWS standards, areas zoned for multi-family, commercial, or industrial use should have a fire hydrant every 250 feet. Single-family homes should have a fire hydrant every 350 feet. Areas zoned for agricultural use should have a fire hydrant every 700 feet.
But the energy company confirms that there are some older neighborhoods in the Honolulu metropolitan area that do not meet these standards, including Kaimuki, Paoa, Palolo and Manoa.
BWS spokeswoman Kathleen Pahinui told HNN Investigates that fire hydrant spacing in the communities it serves is generally satisfactory.
When asked about the definition of “satisfactory,” Pahinui replied, “It means that HFD and we agree that the community is well protected.”
HNN investigates
According to Pahinui, hydrants are limited in undeveloped areas between communities not served by the water authority. Examples include locations along the Kaiwi Coast between Wahiawa/Whitmore and Waialua and Kunia Road north of Royal Kunia.
HNN asked the Honolulu Fire Department what impact the lack of fire hydrants would have in these areas.
The agency said that of the nearly 500 bushfires it responded to last year, only a handful – 7% – started in these specific locations.
HFD Battalion Chief Ricardo Yost says the department uses a computer program to quickly identify and locate fire hydrants in the event of an emergency.
“Each truck is equipped with a computer running this program so we can easily see where the hydrants are,” he said.
According to HFD, it is “quite common” for its teams to fight fires in places where there are no fire hydrants.
When that happens, Yost says, “We use our tankers. Tankers have 1,800 gallons of water. Our engines usually have 750 gallons of water.”
If necessary, the fire department also uses helicopters. The firefighters are also trained for relay operations.
“You have your first supply pump at the hydrant and we’re running our lines. You know we can run them a quarter mile,” Yost said.
The Board of Water Supply told HNN Investigates that it is working to adjust the spacing of fire hydrants in communities where they are too far apart, and the issue is most often raised when a water main needs to be replaced.
“We recently had projects in Manoa. We have a few projects in the Diamond Head and Kaimuki areas,” Pahinui said.
In the meantime, there are some things the public can do to make firefighters’ jobs easier. HFD has created this Ready, Set, Go action guide.
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