Frozen Hydrants Continue to Trouble Indianapolis Firefighters

Frozen hydrants frustrated Indianapolis firefighters for the second time this week as they tried to put out a blaze at a commercial building.

Fire Capt. Rita Reith says crews needed about 10 minutes to find a working hydrant after arriving at the fire Tuesday night on the city’s east side. Firefighters had to use hundreds of feet of hose to get water to the fire, which destroyed the building housing an insurance office, a sporting goods store and a music studio.

Overnight lows have dipped to the lower teens in recent days, contributing to the troubles with the city’s 36,000 hydrants.

Firefighters also had trouble finding working hydrants early Monday near a restaurant that was destroyed by fire.