Car Vs. Fire Hydrant Geyser Floods Southwest RivCo Neighborhood

MENIFEE, CA — Cal Fire/Riverside County Firefighters rushed to the scene of a sheared hydrant that was flooding homes in a Menifee neighborhood Thursday morning.

Just after 8 a.m., firefighters arrived at the 30000 block of Bloomfest Street in Menifee/French Valley, where the hydrant was shooting water into the air.

A white Kia Optima with its hazards on had collided with the hydrant, according to California Highway Patrol dispatch officers.

"Firefighters attempted to shut off the hydrant but were unable, and the water began flooding three to four homes on that block," Cal Fire spokesperson Tawny Castro told Patch.

There were no injuries to the occupants of the vehicle, she said.

As of 10 a.m., two engine crews and a battallion chief remained on the scene localizing the flooding impact to those four homes, she said. Eastern Municipal Water District had been called to the scene to shut off the water, she said.

While waiting, firefighters were attempting a "water salvage" operation and using available tools to keep water from entering residences, she said. They will also help remove as much water from the homes as possible. "A lot of the time, we are able to shut it off, but not always," she said.