Lack of fire hydrants not uncommon in Ohio as firefighters rely on tanker trucks to stamp out flames

STARK COUNTY, OH (WOIO) - What are the rules about fire hydrants in your neighborhood?

Cleveland 19 is getting answers on that question, after a fire in Uniontown over the weekend.

The fire happened Saturday on Inverness Avenue, according to fire officials.

It was sparked by a space heater, and the fire quickly consumed the home. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

According to the Uniontown Fire Department, because there are no fire hydrants in that area, the department had to bring in a tanker truck to put out the blaze.

However, that’s not uncommon, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Cleveland 19 did some digging into the Ohio Fire Code, which largely leaves number and placement of fire hydrants up to local fire districts and city officials, dependent mostly on the size of the residence and the number of tanker trunks the city owns.

I asked Uniontown Fire about this, and they told me the township and the Stark County Water Department have authority over what hydrants go where. However, they told me the lack of a fire hydrant was not an issue in this case, because the city has the tanker truck resources it needs in a fire like this.

The state fire code does establish some guidelines for the placement of fire hydrants on access roads.

However, it also dictates that those are not mandatory, unless a city ordinance requires them.

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