A vehicle slammed into a fire hydrant on a Winchester street Thursday, busting open the device and causing flooding that damaged multiple properties, one of which was left uninhabitable.
The hydrant crash was reported at 8:20 a.m. Thursday within the intersection of Auburn Way and Leon Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said that multiple engine crews were sent to the location and encountered water pouring out of the sheared hydrant, pooling on the streets and flowing into residential properties.
The driver fled the scene before firefighters and sheriff’s deputies arrived.
“Seven houses had minor to major damage, with flooding to the yards and standing water in many of the homes,” according to a fire department statement.
The hydrant was successfully capped a short time later.
No one in the neighborhood was injured. The status of the motorist was unknown.
Officials said a family of four was displaced from one home due to the extent of water damage.
Private cleanup and salvage teams were summoned to provide assistance.
Deputies were searching for the hit-and-run driver. No description of the vehicle was immediately released.