Minnesota Fire Department Makes Urgent Plea To Residents – Stop Doing This!

Structure fires are always very dangerous to firefighters, and in some cases the public can unknowingly make it a lot worse, putting firefighters at even more risk.

The Duluth, Minnesota Fire Department shared a story about a scary incident on their Facebook page. On August 16 at 10:01 AM, the Duluth Fire Department responded to a single-family, one-story residential structure fire. The fire started in the basement and traveled up the first floor and into the attic.

Crews connected to a nearby hydrant for water to combat the flames. Minnesota Power was also called to disconnect power to the house. The responding firefighters adopted a defensive strategy to knock down the fire.

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During the Fire Department's response, a motorist driving by drove over the fire hose (hydrant line). This is illegal, motorists should detour and avoid the area where a structure fire is happening.

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Driving over the hydrant lines can cause damage and sudden loss of pressure. This can put firefighters in extreme danger. In the post, the fire department says, "Folks, PLEASE PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE OVER HOSE LINE."

People who drive over a firehose can be fined and also could be potentially held liable for damages caused to the firehose or equipment. They also could be charged with reckless driving.