Heat Takes Toll on Kentucky Firefighters

LOUISVILLE, Ky. --

Flames engulfed a building around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Louisville Industrial Center on National Turnpike just west of the Outer Loop.

During the blaze, an ambulance took Fairdale fire chief Donnie Wittry to Baptist East Hospital where he was treated and released.

Firefighters spent an hour battling high flames and intense heat to get the blaze under control. Flame retardant foam could be seen saturating the building and the ground around it.

There was a small fire off the backside of the building and thats pretty much all it was for a couple of minutes, neighboring business owner Mike Williams said. Then it went up pretty quick.

Firefighters from Fairdale, Okolona and Pleasure Ridge Park battled the blaze. Workers inside the maintenance repair shop escaped uninjured, as did firefighters, but it wasnt easy. A pair of firefighters were blown to the ground from flashover flames from the front door but were unhurt.

But other firefighters, battling the blaze in the intense heat, stopped sweating and had trouble breathing.

EMS workers treated one firefighter with oxygen while he had his shirt off and he recovered enough to avoid a trip to the hospital.

We have plenty of water on hand, Fairdale Fire Department Chief Donnie Wittry said. Everyones getting hydrated and staying that way as much as possible. Again, the heat conditions are pretty tough on these guys and girls, so were keeping a close eye on them.

About an hour after he gave an interview, Wittry was hospitalized for his own issues with the heat.

As crews worked to tear down the fire-damaged walls of the building to get to still-burning hot spots, other firefighters were ordered to cool off in the air conditioning of a TARC bus.

The heat obviously is an issue with the firefighters, Wittry said.