Meriden firefighters had more to deal with than just fire burning in a house. They had to deal with a minivan parked in front of a hydrant,
Fire was visible from the second floor so officers called for a second-alarm.
They smashed the window of the illegally parked vehicle to open the doors and stretch the hose through.
“Every second counts when it comes to putting out a fire. And there’s a reason why parking in front of fire hydrants is illegal and dangerous," ,” Meriden Deputy Chief Cristina Schoeck told WFSB.
This isn't the first time they've had to waste precious time trying to gain access to a hydrant.
“Six months ago it happened here on East Main Street. Same thing. That was an apartment building. So, we had a lot of residents in that building. Same thing, it was another minivan. And, it was parked in front of a hydrant.”
Firefighters determined a pillow on an electric heater caught fire and spread.
