Driver fined $4,000 for blocking Bronx fire hydrant during fatal blaze, FDNY says
A driver was fined a whopping $4,000 for allegedly parking in front of a fire hydrant and blocking New York City firefighters during a fatal blaze.
Two people died in the Feb. 12 fire on Anthony Avenue in the Bronx, where firefighters said an illegally parked car blocked the nearest hydrant across the street and slowed down their response.
The driver was hit with a fire code violation, which carries a much greater fine than the $115 parking violation. It's the first time the city's fire code was applied to a blocked hydrant, according to the FDNY.
"Seconds count in an emergency and blocking a fire hydrant is a selfish decision that can kill people, and endanger FDNY members as they work to save residents. Our Bureau of Fire Prevention took decisive action following the fatal multiple alarm fire in the Bronx, and now we are seeing the results. I hope this significant fine sends a clear message to New Yorkers: don't block a fire hydrant," a statement by New York City Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said.
The fire, caused by a space heater, marked the second time in three days that firefighters were blocked by an illegally parked car, the FDNY said. Two cars blocked two fire hydrants near another fatal fire on Feb. 9 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
It is illegal to park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant in New York City. People can call 311 to report blocked or improperly opened hydrants.
