As firefighters worked to combat a fire at a home in Scoudouc, N.B., on Wednesday, they were forced to cope with another enemy — the incessant heat.
The fire was first reported by a neighbour at approximately 4:30 a.m. and the two residents of the home — who’d only purchased the residence a few days ago — were able to escape unharmed.
No one was harmed in the blaze, but it was challenging for fire crews.
“It was a lot of fire in a lot of void spaces. Hard to get to,” said Capt. Julien Boudreau of the Shediac Fire Department.
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When firefighters first responded it was well before Wednesday’s heat had picked. But by mid-morning, the heat warning issued by Environment Canada was in full effect.
Fire crews had to call in reinforcements from Dieppe, N.B., as a result.
“When it is hot like that we have to rotate our crews a lot quicker. So it usually takes a lot more resources than a normal fire in normal temperatures,” said Boudreau.
Crew members quickly stripped off their heavy gear in between the rotating shifts as they attempted to bring down their core body temperatures.
But it’s not just dehydration and heat stroke on the minds of firefighters like Jeff Pyke.
“On top of being encapsulated in gear that is designed to keep heat out, it also keeps heat in and that impact on the body plays a psychological effect on your decision making,” said Pyke, a firefighter from Dieppe.
Pyke said the greater the stress, the faster they begin to feel the mental effects, and that can put the firefighters at a greater risk of injury.
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Firefighters need their wits about them when climbing on the roof of a burned-out home in full gear.
“It’s actually quite a bit more difficult to make the effective decision under pressure stress and heat,” said Pyke.
That means plenty of water was on hand to help the firefighters stay hydrated.
Crews say the temperature did not impact how quickly the fire spread throughout the home, which was engulfed when they arrived.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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