Broken hydrants slowed Stockton firefighters at recycling plant blaze. It’s a citywide issue

THREE INOPERABLE FIRE HYDRANTS that hindered Stockton firefighters responding to a massive blaze at a recycling plant last week are symptoms of an ongoing problem in the city, authorities said.

Fire crews arriving at Zarc Recycling on south California Street on Wednesday night, April 2, tried to tap into hydrants but quickly discovered they couldn’t plug in their hoses. The problem wasn’t a lack of water, Deputy Fire Chief Brandon Doolan said. It was being able to access the hydrants.