Fire Hydrant

3D Model

A model of a red, twin-outlet fire hydrant commonly seen in Singapore. The model was generated from 160 photos using Agisoft Photoscan.

Fire hydrants are fascinating structures that are rarely seen in action. To prevent public misuse, fire hydrants require specialised equipment (a large wrench with a pentagonal socket) to be opened.

As Singaporeans, there might be a common misconception that all fire hydrants are coloured red. However, the bonnet and body of a fire hydrant are colour-coded according to their available water flow, and not only for aesthetics. The colour of the bonnet can range from blue, green, orange to red and the main body can range from white, yellow, red to violet.

Fire hydrants also encapsulate the history of fires in Singapore: from the Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961 (biggest fire in Singapore’s history) that razed the squatter along the hillside of Kampong Tiong Bahru, to the recent fire at the Marina Bay Suites Condominium in 2014 that claimed the lives of 2 security guards.