Fire hydrants buried in snow, ice delay Long Island firefighters for crucial minutes

Last weekend, two weeks after a major winter storm system dropped more than a foot of snow on some parts of Long Island, firefighters responding to a house fire in North New Hyde Park found the nearest fire hydrant buried in packed ice and snow.

Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Michael F. Uttaro said the scene was familiar for Long Island firefighters — one faced year after year following a significant snowstorm.

"We had something like nine working fires this past weekend," Uttaro said in a phone interview on Monday, "and at two or three of them either the primary or secondary fire hydrant had to be dug out and cleared to gain access."

At one of those fire scenes, an apartment fire on Newbridge Road in East Meadow, responding Nassau County police officers joined in digging out a hydrant that had been plowed under, Uttaro said.

State fire code requires that unobstructed access to fire hydrants must be maintained at all times — with a space of 3 feet in circumference around those hydrants free of any debris or obstruction, including snow, ice, trash or other obstacles.

"Taking a few minutes to clear hydrants of snow and ice in your neighborhood could save someone's life," Suffolk County Water Authority Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey W. Szabo wrote recently in a posted message on the authority's official website.

The SCWA has more than 37,000 hydrants in its service area, serving 1.2 million residents.

As Szabo wrote: "In the event of a fire, every second counts, and we need our firefighters to be able to respond properly once they arrive on scene."

The official Water Authority of Western Nassau County website also offered a wintertime message to homeowners and local business owners about the importance of keeping hydrants free and clear of ice and snow.

"Buried hydrants," that posted message explained, "cause significant delays, increasing the danger and difficulty of fighting a fire. So please, keep yourself and your neighbors safe by clearing hydrants."

The issue, Uttaro said, is one firefighters across Long Island face anytime there's significant snow.

"This is a common issue in winter months especially following a plowable snowfall," Uttaro wrote in an explanatory email, adding the issue has been worse this winter due to the amount of snowfall and the deep freeze that followed it.

It's not just that snow has obstructed the hydrants, he said. "In many cases, they are now encapsulated in ice as well," Uttaro said. 

Compounding the issue, Uttaro said, is that many residents and business owners don't know who is responsible for keeping the area around hydrants clear of debris. "It is a gray area," he said. "However, my best answer is that it is everyone's responsibility."

As Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in a statement to Newsday on Tuesday: "The primary goal of government is to keep people safe in every situation, and that often calls for cooperation in the community."

Romaine said Suffolk officials remind homeowners, businesses and landlords to keep area around hydrants clear every winter — so they are "free to use them in an emergency and protect themselves and their neighbors," he said.

On Tuesday morning, Uttaro said, firefighters responding to a house fire in Floral Park found an obstructed hydrant and were forced to dig it out.

"All our trucks have 500 gallons of tank water, so they're getting water on a fire when they arrive," Uttaro said of such situations. "But when you have three guys trying to dig out a hydrant instead of running a line, getting a ladder up, well ... that's not the best situation."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.