Several North Winnipeg streets were swamped with an icy mess Saturday night after a number of fire hydrants were vandalized
The valves were pried open by someone with a large wrench and gallons of water gushed onto streets before crews were notified.
Around midnight, city crews rushed to turn off one fire hydrant when they learned another one had been opened.
At least eight fire hydrants were tampered with, three in the North End and five in North Kildonan.
On Bonner St. alone, three hydrants were pried open.
"I turned on the water in the washroom to wash and noticed it was sandy brown," said resident Josyf Mudryj.
The tampering affected water quality and water pressure for hundreds of residents and left streets and sidewalks flooded, some under 40 to 60 centimeters of freezing water.
"It is bizarre," said Mudryj, "you hear about things happening around the North End, but never about people vandalizing fire hydrants."
The vandalism is shocking to Deputy Fire Chief Bill Clark.
"I’ve never heard of this in my 37 years with the department," he said
Clark says the vandalism posed a serious safety risk.
When hydrants are opened, water freezes inside, rendering them useless until crews can thaw the water with steam. Clark say it’s fortunate no major fires broke out nearby.
"If it’s a larger fire then that’s when we rely on the hydrants for an active water supply," said Clark.
Overnight, city crews worked overtime to drain the water and sand the streets, but many sidewalks remain icy.
Fire officials say the vandal or vandals must have been very determined, because without the proper tool it’s very hard to open the hydrants, especially in the extreme cold.
"It takes a pretty good reef on them to open them up," said Clark, "so whatever they had, whatever they were fashioning, they were working at it."
And the mess created will be around for a while.
"Whoever is doing this thinks it’s funny but it’s not a joke," said Clark.
Police say they’re looking for two people who were in a small pick up truck.
Police are asking residents who may have witnessed the vandalisms to come forward and call Crime Stoppers at 789-8477 (TIPS).
Comments