Drought causing major concerns for Tiverton Fire Department

By Bianca Buono

bbuono@abc6.com

@BBuonoABC6

Water sources across Southern New England continue to dry up which is not only a headache, but for local fire departments it’s a safety issue.

"We have four dry hydrants and only one of them is viable,” said Captain Bruce Reimels of the Tiverton Fire Department.

Captain Bruce Reimels says the department relies on dry hydrants like this one on Crandall Road. Now, that’s not an option.

"The pipe is above the water so we can’t draft the water out,” Reimels explained.

But the biggest area of concern is Nonquit Pond. It’s the department’s largest water source.

"It’s a, I believe, 400 million gallon pond. As of two weeks ago it was down to just under 300 million so it’s down quite a bit,” Reimels said.

Reimels says so far the department has been lucky. All recent fires have been in the northern part of Tiverton where water is easier to come by; but with 10 to 12 calls a day, he says it’s only a matter of time before things could get trickier.

"When we do get something in a district that doesn’t have the hydrants, we will certainly call in more tankers than usual,” Reimels said.

Several other towns and cities are dealing with these same problems. As a result, burn bans are in effect.

© WLNE-TV 2016