TULSA, Okla. — Several area fire crews were called out to a rural northwest Tulsa house fire, Thursday. The house was destroyed and fire officials said the homeowners were not home.
Fire fighters had more heat to battle than just the flames.
"My guys are tired," Black Dog Senior Fire Fighter Dewayne Hall said. "They're sweating through everything."
Hall and his fire fighters responded to the fire just before 3:30 p.m. The five-person crew called in reinforcements from Tulsa Fire, Turley Fire, and EMSA.
"There was quite a bit of flames to it," Hall said. "There was a lot of heat produced in this fire."
The heavy, flame-resistant gear donned by the fire fighters did not block out all the heat.
"I actually went and stayed in the ambulance for a little bit to cool down, because I was running back and forth," Hall said. "Of course, I’m a little older than everybody else on this scene.”
Hall may be the elder statesman of the Black Dog crew, but he tells the young pups to do the very same.
"10 minutes out in this heat, and you're going to need to take a little break to cool back down," he said.
While they caught some indoor air conditioning, Hall told his fellow fire fighters to hydrate with water and sports drinks. He also warned them not to push past their limits.
He said knowing where that line is, is key to ensuring everyone walks away safely.
"Everybody watches everybody else," Hall said. "We look after our brothers and sisters on the department."
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