Additional crews were called in to allow Massachusetts firefighters to take frequent breaks as temperatures reached the 90s while they tackled a four-alarm blaze that destroyed a house Monday.
Even so, three Quincy firefighters suffered heat exposure in the incident and were taken to the hospital, WBZ-TV reports. Their injuries weren't considered serious.
The fire broke out at about 6:30 p.m. on the back deck of a house as a family was outside grilling, The Patriot Ledger reports. A leaking propane tank that later exploded was being blamed, and the residents were able to make it safely out of the house.
The large blaze had 75 firefighters in at least eight apparatus were called to the scene, and crews from Quincy, Boston and Braintree were part of the response. To combat the extreme heat, firefighters used fans to cool off as they exited the burning house and took breaks for relief.
“It was very, very hot today. The fire accelerated very quickly," Quincy Deputy Fire Chief Tim Burchill told the Ledger.
Along with destroying the home where it originated, the fire also damaged the outside of two neighboring homes, according to WBZ.
