It turned out that at least two of the fire hydrants that had been installed could not be used due to the wildfire in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, which continued to burn for three weeks from February to March.
Because it is located at a relatively high altitude, the water pressure is weak, and using a large amount of water could affect the water supply to homes.
The forest fire in Ashikaga City that broke out in February was extinguished about three weeks after burning 167 hectares, although evacuation advisories were issued to up to 305 households, but there was no damage to houses or people.
At that time, securing water for firefighting activities became an issue, and many fire hydrants installed in the vicinity were used, but at least two places could not be used, according to an interview with the Ashikaga City Fire Department. It was.
This is because it was found that the water pressure is weak due to the relatively high altitude, and if a large amount of water is used, it may not be possible to supply water to the surrounding houses.
After that, the fire department conducted an investigation with the city and found that there are 28 other fire hydrants in the city that may not be usable for large-scale fires for the same reason.
Regarding this, Masatoshi Abe, the fire chief of the Ashikaga City Fire Department, said, "If a fire hydrant cannot be used, we will strive to secure multiple water uses, such as deploying a large tank car, and develop fire extinguishing activities according to the situation." I'm talking.