The smoldering temperatures have been bad enough to deal with, but imagine battling a fire in heavy equipment at the same time.
That's the reality for Chatham-Kent firefighters, who have fought two fires in the past week in temperatures that felt as hot as 39 C or 101 F.
Assistant Fire Chief Ric Scharf explains that crews battle fires for just 20 minutes at a time, then cool down in what he calls "rehab." That's where they re-hydrate, and have the opportunity to get out of some of their heavy equipment.
"Even though modern technology has made the materials lighter and more protective for our firefighters, it still feels like wearing a ski-doo suit when it's 100 degrees out and the humidex increasing," says Scharf.
During extended blazes, Scharf adds EMS will get involved to monitor firefighters' blood pressure and fluids.
