Vandals caused serious damage in the Rockingham area of Halifax on Sunday night when they smashed a fire hydrant with an excavator cutting off water to several nearby properties.

Halifax Regional Police said it happened around 9 p.m. at the intersection of Wentworth Drive and Eliza Ritchie Crescent.

They were called to the scene after receiving reports of an excavator being operated by several people. When police arrived they found the excavator empty with its bucket resting on a damaged fire hydrant as large volume of water spilled onto the street.

A cracked sidewalk is all that remains of a fire hydrant that was smashed by vandals in an excavator last night. (Jean Laroche/CBC)

Alarms went off in several nearby buildings because there wasn't enough water pressure to run the sprinkler systems.

Halifax Water managed to control the leak and Halifax Fire and Emergency responded to the sprinkler alarms.

Police searched the area but weren't able to find the vandals. The suspects were last seen leaving the area in a small, white car.