Darren Peets' Pet Fire Hydrant

This is me with my pet fire hydrant. Most people don't actually have their own fire hydrant sitting inside their house, so they tend to think this to be odd. They also think I'm weird for wanting one. This is probably not the case at firehydrant.org. The most common question I get asked is "How on earth did you get a fire hydrant?"

Once upon a time (I believe it was December 1999), my parents were asking me to come up with a list of things I might want for Christmas. I don't often want much, so I'm usually very hard to buy for. I put "fire hydrant" on my list. They couldn't find one (I don't think they really tried). The following spring, however, the water main on our street was replaced, including the fire hydrants. I asked the workmen if I could have one of the old ones, and they agreed. A collector nearby had already asked for the other one. The workmen chained my hydrant to a backhoe to lift it, and left it on the driveway, in front of the garage. This surprised my parents, when they got home. They were unable to move it.

The hydrant weighs about 250 lbs (110 kg), and is made of inch-thick cast iron. It's possible to roll it on its edge, but that tends to leave deep grooves in asphalt. My parents still aren't sure how it got inside the house without destroying something. This is because they believe that fire hydrants are outdoor toys. Mine doesn't belong outside, since it could get stolen or get watered by dogs (it took a while to clean).

It was made quite clear that my hydrant would move out when I did, and it ended up doing just that. I'm lucky to live on the ground floor, with concrete floors.

For those hydrant collectors out there, this hydrant was made by Terminal City Iron Works in Vancouver, B.C., around 1970. I don't know much more about it than that. It's mine, you can't have it.

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