WINNIPEG – They are critical tools when it comes to dousing flames and putting out fires.

Fire hydrants can be found everywhere you look in the city, but hundreds are currently out of service.

Documents obtained by Global News through a Freedom of Information request show 401 fire hydrants are inoperable and some have been out of service for a decade.

Many have been hit by vehicles and never fixed, others are missing pieces or have broken parts and at least four simply cannot be located. The information released by the city does not include the locations of the broken hydrants. Officials say releasing that information would encourage arsonists and put public safety at risk.

Last summer, a fire broke out across the street from the auto body shop Trevor Sklar works at and the hydrant right in front of the building didn’t work.

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“Firefighters came and went to go get water from that fire hydrant and they just pushed it over,” said Sklar. “The guy had to run all the way down the street to hook it up to the next fire hydrant. It took him an extra 5 minutes.”

Had the fire been at the garage he was working at, Sklar isn’t sure crews would have been able to extinguish it in time – the shop is full of flammable materials, such as fuel and oil.

“It is normal to have a very small percentage of fire hydrants out of service (e.g., due to vehicle accidents, construction activities, maintenance repairs),” a city spokesperson told Global News via email.

While the number amounts to roughly 2 per cent of the city’s total hydrants, those who live or work directly by an out of service one are not notified and the city refused to disclose the locations citing safety concerns.

“I think there should be a list online and they should do what they did last year with the water and hand deliver a notice that your fire hydrant isn’t working,” said one Winnipegger.

“They should give us some sort of info like a place we could call or a website with info,” said another.

Although there is redundancy in the system, there is still a concern there may be an increased risk of arson attempts if properties are perceived as having a reduced level of fire protection, the city said.

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Within an hour, Global News was able to find two hydrants within a block of each other that were not working.

One of those was directly in front of the playground at an elementary school. The same school had to be evacuated in November 2013 due to a fire. It’s unclear whether the hydrant was in working order at the time.

According to the Underwriters Insurance Company of Canada, hydrants must be inspected twice a year.