Truckee Donner PUD and Truckee Fire Call on Community to Keep Hydrants Clear of Snow
Local agencies urge community members to remove snow from fire hydrants to facilitate access in an emergency
Truckee, Calif. (Feb. 18, 2026) – Truckee Donner Public Utility District and Truckee Fire Protection District are joining forces to encourage community members to help keep our community safe by adopting a fire hydrant this winter.
While most people focus on removing snow from driveways, walkways, decks and roofs, not everyone thinks about removing snow from shared community resources like fire hydrants. There are almost 3,000 fire hydrants in the Truckee Fire Protection District, and while TDPUD and Truckee Fire clear some priority hydrants on main roads and near critical infrastructure, it’s not practical or feasible to task either agency with providing the resources necessary to clear the thousands of hydrants in town following each storm.
“The winter season is one of the busiest times of the year for the fire department,” says Ryan Ochoa, Truckee Fire battalion chief. “That’s why it’s so important for people to pitch in and help keep hydrants clear and neighborhoods safe. This way when crews arrive on the scene they don’t have to waste time locating and digging out hydrants.”
TDPUD and Truckee Fire are asking Truckee residents to “Adopt a Hydrant” in their neighborhood, and work with their neighbors to keep it clear of snow. Here are a few tips:
Clear a three-foot space all around the entire hydrant
Clear a path from the hydrant to the street
Clear all snow and ice from the 3-foot perimeter
Exercise caution and use the appropriate tools when removing snow to avoid damaging the hydrant.
“It’s easy to overlook crucial infrastructure hidden beneath huge snow berms,” says TDPUD Water Director Chad Reed. “Unfortunately, people often don't consider it until an emergency arises. That’s why it’s so important to maintain clear access to critical equipment like your street’s fire hydrant, and even your water meter and main shutoff valve.”
House fires occur at the highest rates during the winter months. When Truckee Fire responds to put out a house fire, they arrive with enough water to make an initial fire attack, but firefighters are quickly in need of a continuous water supply from a fire hydrant to extinguish some fires. Finding and connecting to a fire hydrant is one of the firefighters' first priorities, but accessing them when they are buried under heavy snow can be a challenge. Firefighters might have to spend valuable time searching for and digging out a hydrant when they could be doing other important tasks to knock down a fire in your neighborhood. When the weather is clear, take some time to locate your nearest hydrant, and do your part to keep it clear of snow and ice.
For more information on keeping your hydrants clear, visit truckeefire.org/adopt-a-hydrant.
Photos for media use here.
About Truckee Donner PUD:
TDPUD is a public utility district created in 1927 and overseen by a locally-elected board of directors. TDPUD is a not-for-profit entity that provides the greater Truckee area with reliable and high-quality water and power services, while guiding the community to conserve resources. For more information about TDPUD, call 530-587-3896 or visit tdpud.org.
About Truckee Fire:
Truckee Fire Protection District was established in 1894 and is overseen by a locally-elected board of directors. TFPD protects the lives, property and environment of residents and visitors to its 125 square mile fire district in and around Truckee through fire suppression, emergency medical services, fire prevention and wildfire preparedness. For more information about TFPD, call 530-582-7850 or visit truckeefire.org.