The community of Nipomo is seeing a rash of thefts involving the brass caps on fire hydrants.
The Nipomo Community Services District (NCSD) says at least ten have been taken out of the 650 throughout the area.
"Tampering with fire hydrants is considered a serious offense that threatens public safety," the district says.
A single brass cap may bring $10 in scrap value, and they're relatively easy to remove in order to give quick access to the firefighters who need to use the hydrants.
District residents are being asked to check hydrants in their area and report any missing caps to the NCSD.
Contact info: (805) 929-1133 or info@ncsd.ca.gov