- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Sault Ste. Marie Today
By the People, for the People
Sault Firefighters May Become Hydrant Heroes
Fire services and PUC discuss plan to clear snow from hydrants before emergencies
Published on Feb. 12, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services has met with PUC Services to discuss a potential new plan where firefighters would help remove snow from fire hydrants before emergencies happen. This comes after several incidents this winter where firefighters had to spend precious time digging out buried hydrants before they could respond to fires, causing delays. While PUC is responsible for maintaining the city's 2,300 public hydrants, the heavy snowfall this season has made it difficult for their crews to keep up.
Why it matters
Ensuring fire hydrants are accessible is crucial for public safety, as delays in accessing water can put lives and property at risk during emergencies. The proposed partnership between the fire department and PUC aims to proactively address this issue and improve emergency response times in Sault Ste. Marie.
The details
Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services and PUC Services have started discussions on a plan where firefighters would assist in clearing snow from hydrants before emergencies occur. While the details have not been finalized, the goal is to limit the number of buried hydrants that firefighters have to dig out during calls. PUC is responsible for maintaining the city's 2,300 public hydrants, but the heavy snowfall this winter has made it difficult for their crews to keep up. Contractors are also used to supplement PUC's efforts during major snow events.
- In late January, a buried hydrant delayed firefighters responding to a blaze on Turner Avenue.
- On February 11, 2026, firefighters again had to dig out a hydrant before extinguishing a fire.
The players
Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services
The local fire department that responds to emergencies in the city.
PUC Services
The public utility company responsible for maintaining the city's 2,300 public fire hydrants.
Aaron Gravelle
Public education officer with Sault Fire Services.
Jairus Patterson
Manager of customer experience and events at PUC.
What they’re saying
“Recently we have had discussions with PUC and are working on a plan to limit the number of buried hydrants, given the past two winters we have had.”
— Aaron Gravelle, Public education officer, Sault Fire Services (SooToday)
“While conditions have been demanding, we remain optimistic that this season's most severe winter weather is almost behind us.”
— Jairus Patterson, Manager, customer experience and events, PUC (SooToday)
What’s next
Once the plan between Sault Fire Services and PUC is finalized, they will provide more details to the media and public on how the new hydrant clearing process will work.
The takeaway
The partnership between the fire department and utility company aims to proactively address the issue of buried fire hydrants, which can delay emergency response times and put public safety at risk during the winter months. This collaborative effort demonstrates the city's commitment to improving emergency preparedness and response.
