Springfield Fire Department explains how the city is prepared for major fires

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Over in California, the fire hydrants ran dry right when emergency crews needed the water most. We spoke with Fire Commissioner B.J. Calvi on Friday to get a better understanding on how hydrant systems work and how the city of Springfield keeps them maintained.

“When you get a fire of that magnitude there’s only so much water in the system, so an eight inch line can deliver between 1,500 and 200 gallons per minute of water, but when there’s five engine companies on the same line that can pump 1,500 gallons a minute, you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul at that point, so there’s only so much water in the system,” Calvi explained.

With the unprecedented wildfires tearing apart Los Angeles County, Calvi says when a fire gets to that magnitude, there really is no way to fight it effectively, but luckily for us, Springfield has one of the best water systems in the country.

“We have a great water system. It’s reservoir fed and the reservoir is higher than the elevation of the city of Springfield, so we have great water pressure,” he claimed.

As a firefighter himself, Commissioner Calvi has this message about those out battling the flames in California:

“The crews are working day and night fighting fire of that magnitude. It’s arduous work, you are cutting and digging and moving trees, so it is very difficult work, it’s dirty work, and the crews are doing a tremendous job trying to get a handle on it.”

Calvi told us the Springfield Water Department is in charge of maintaining the hydrants in the city of Springfield. He says they go out every year and pressure test the hydrants to make sure they are performing effectively.