Cold weather challenging for firefighters
Originally published 01:00 p.m., February 21, 2008
Updated 04:05 p.m., February 21, 2008
Today’s extreme temperatures and bad weather made a tough job even harder for firefighters northeast of Topeka.
The garage attached to a home at 4736 NE Meriden Road in Northeast Shawnee County went up in flames this morning.
Flames could be seen shooting out of this garage earlier today. The garage is located at 4736 NE Meridian Road.
As smoke poured out of the garage, ice and snow poured down on firefighters. At 11 a.m., when the fire started, the temperature was 18 degrees.
“It doesn’t help at all at a fire,” said Soldier Township Fire Chief Richard Maginot
“Especially if the water you're spraying freezes up on you and everything else,” one firefighter said. “Makes the situation kind of hazardous, because you’re slipping on ice then as well.”
But firefighters did all they could not to let the weather obstacles get in their way of knocking out the fire quickly, especially when they found out the home belonged to a fellow firefighter. Initially, they thought he might be trapped inside.
“We didn’t know it was one of our own until just arriving on scene,” said Brian Flott, Soldier Township firefighter.
The man who was inside made it out safely with his dog. A woman, who identified herself as a relative, was circling the home looking for the man’s missing cats.
Soldier Township was forced to call in crews from several other agencies, including Topeka and Silver Lake, to provide additional equipment and manpower.
While the cold temperatures might seem refreshing when coming out of a burning building, firefighters said it can be dangerous as well.
“It’s so warm on the inside, when you come out ... you cool off way too fast,” Flott said. “It causes your body to go from extreme high temperatures to the extreme cold temperatures.”
Firefighters kept a close eye on their water supply, fearing it might also freeze with the cold temperatures.
The State Fire Marshal’s office determined the fire caused about $75,000 in damage and was sparked by an electrical short, Maginot said.
The fire was mostly contained to the garage, though smoke also damaged the inside of the home, he said. A boat and several items inside the garage were severely damaged.
Ammunition in the garage exploded when firefighters arrived, said Maginot, but no injuries were reported.
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