HESPERIA, Calif. --

Fire hydrants have become a favorite target of scrap metal thieves in the High Desert.

The stolen parts, typically brass caps and sometimes brass threading, only yield about $5 from recyclers.

But an employee of the Apple Valley Rancho Water Co. said it costs $125 plus labor to replace them. Authorities estimate there have been more than 100 such thefts in the past six months.

Jed Holley, manager of A-1 Recycling, said the problem is a safety danger as well as a crime.

There have been no instances of crews arriving at a fire and finding an inoperable hydrant.