The Anchorage Fire Department has been pulling fire rigs from the streets since Oct. 1 to avoid paying overtime when someone calls in sick, is hurt or is out for other reasons.
On Tuesday, an AFD water truck that serves an area without fire hydrants was placed out of service for the day. Department officials say the driver of the water tender was moved to another fire station because of an absence elsewhere.
Stuckagain Heights is one area without fire hydrants. It is the reason a water tender is placed at Anchorage Fire Station 14 off Campbell Airstrip and East Tudor roads.
"Fire's a huge concern up here because there's one way in and one way out," said Troy Weiss, who lives in Stuckagain Heights.
Fire department officials say if a house fire had started in Stuckagain Heights on Tuesday, and a water tender was needed, they would have gone to the closest station for one. The department says the closest water tender is at Station 8 near O'Malley and Birch roads in South Anchorage.