A Sayville house fire was able to be extinguished Monday due to precautions the homeowner took the day before.

The homeowner cleared a fire hydrant in front of his home Sunday after the blizzard, not knowing that it would be used to save his home from flames the following day.

When fire crews arrived to the scene, they were able to quickly connect their hoses to the hydrant and extinguish the flames.

"The fire hydrant was dug out, ready to go right in front of the house that was on fire," says Walter Reutlinger, assistant Sayville fire chief. "It allowed us to pour our resources in an efficient manner without having to spend precious time digging out that fire hydrant."

The home suffered minor damage in the fire.

Fire officials say it would take firefighters 5 to 10 minutes to clear the snow before getting to the hydrant to connect the hose, precious moments during a fire.

Residents are urged to clear 3 to 4 feet around hydrants so firefighters can properly hook up their hoses.

The Sayville fire chief tells News 12 that three in four hydrants are cleared away by homeowners after snowstorms.