Three different fires kept crews from three different cities busy Thursday, fighting not only the flames, but also the heat. Moline crews responded to a house fire at two in the morning. Long Grove firefighters were called out in the afternoon for a gator on fire, concerned that fire would spread to a nearby house. And in Mercer County, crews spent hours at the scene of deadly house fire.
While they were in three different locations, all had one thing in common. The heat. It's a tough job anytime. But with highs in the 90s and humidity making it feel more like 110 degrees outside, it's work that can wear you down quickly. Long Grove Fire Chief Keith Louck says, "The heat is a horrible, horrible factor this time of year, especially with this gear on. It holds all the heat. It holds all your body heat inside."
That is true in full sun or in moonlight. Moline firefighters were on the scene of a house fire at two in the morning. Heavy fire was coming from the back of the house and inside the garage. Captain Clair Pearson told TV6, "Everybody's okay from the heat. Thankfully it wasn't two in the afternoon when it's 100 degrees out." But he says, his crews were still feeling the heat.
That is because no matter when the fire breaks out, crews suit up. The uniform itself weighs 50 pounds. The equipment weighs another 25. Louck says, "Your normal body temperature, you could be up 100, 101, 102 degrees, your actual body temperature inside of this gear. So it's basically like you're running a severe fever."
It's why crews take extra precautions on summer fire scenes. They take care to keep everyone there hydrated, and take firefighters off the front lines to give them a break. Crews tell us rotating people through helps them beat the heat and beat the fire, in conditions when just standing outside is hot enough.
"We make sure Medic is out here on every fire scene that we go on," Louck tells us. "Just for that factor, if we do have an issue with the firemen getting too hot." He says that's the best way to take care of the people who take care of you.
