Cal Fire locks Santa Cruz Co. hydrants to stop water thieves

Cal Fire said it’s locking up fire hydrants around Santa Cruz County because it’s been told some are dangerously low. Crews said last summer there were several water thefts reported in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Cal Fire has started a program that will allow people to place a cap over the hydrants in their neighborhood. The program is available to all fire districts and cities within Santa Cruz County.

So far there are only two fire hydrants with locks in Scotts Valley and in the Pajaro Valley Fire District.

“We’re just trying to provide piece of mind and an option for home owners and for water districts so that if they are worried about water theft or tampering issues they have an option of where to go for the lock and caps,” Colleen Baxter said, with Cal Fire Santa Cruz County.

Cal Fire said it needs all the water it can get to save a building if a fire were to start given the extremely dry conditions. The hydrant locks cost about $100 and you can apply for them at the Cal Fire office in Santa Cruz.