Two Frisco firefighters were hospitalized after working to put out an intense blaze that reduced a family home to rubble on Sunday afternoon.
The fire broke out around 4 p.m. in a rear garage on Brazoria Drive, just shy of West University Drive.
As explained to WFAA by Frisco Fire Marshal Kelly Kistner, the incident commander elevated the call to a two-alarm fire due to the extreme heat.
By having more firefighters on the scene, “they could switch out people more frequently and they could share more of those duties and those tasks,” said Kistner.
It is standard protocol for firefighters in the department to work on rotation and be regularly checked out by EMS when putting out a fire during hot weather.
Nonetheless, the intense temperatures did get to two firefighters, who were transported to a local hospital for heat-related illness. They are expected to make full recoveries.
Severe heat can pose a significant threat to one’s health, with heat-related illnesses ranging in severity from heat rash to heat stroke, as previously reported in The Dallas Express.
One longtime USPS worker named Eugene Gates, 66, died in late June at the start of the heatwave after collapsing in front of a Lakewood residence while delivering mail on his route.
For firefighters, battling fires as temperatures skyrocket into the triple digits presents a challenge, as they are burdened with heavy protective gear and masks.
Despite having to hospitalize the two firefighters, the department’s rapid response made it possible to subdue the fire relatively quickly, according to WFAA.
No casualties were reported, but the family residing in the home is now displaced.
A blaze on Friday night also displaced over a dozen residents in Fort Worth, as recently reported in The Dallas Express.
Multiple apartments were destroyed as a fire ripped through the second story of an apartment complex in the 2800 block of Las Vegas Trail. No injuries or casualties were reported, and a black and white kitten was rescued by first responders.
Oppressively hot temperatures are expected to continue across North Texas this week, with little chance of rain.
Due to the persistently hot and dry weather, the Texas A&M Forest Service has issued burn bans in 124 counties across the state, including Tarrant County.
It announced the possibility of wildfire activity from Wednesday through to the weekend in Eastern Hill Country, Western Hill Country, and Cross Timbers.
