Amid record high temperatures, Colorado firefighters faced a recycling yard fire Wednesday that sent flames 15-feet into the air.
The fire at the recycling plant broke out at about noon, KDVR-TV reports. Denver and Adams County crews encountered flames shooting into the air when they reached the scene, as well as oppressive temperatures from a recent heat wave.
Although officials don't know if the heat was a factor in igniting the fire, it did force firefighters to take added precautions while extinguishing the flames.
“It’s a very dangerous situation,” Denver FD spokesman Greg Pixley told KDVR. “Typically, your body temperature is around 98.6 degrees. It’s 100 degrees outside. So unless there is wind blowing, your body doesn’t have the chance to cool down, because the air around it is higher than your body temperature. So we have to work extra hard putting ice packs behind the neck, opening the coats, and removing gear, so air can cool down the body.”
During the call, firefighters were rotated out in order to cool down, hydrate and monitor temperatures.
"On very hot days like this, the rotations are shorter so that they can get to rehab quicker, so the crews don’t get dehydrated," Adams County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Julie Browman told KDVR.
