Rochester, NY - Fighting fires is always dangerous for firefighters but it's a job that can be even more challenging in the bitter cold weather.
The Saint Paul Fire Department called in four other companies to help fight a fire on Dewey Avenue in Irondequoit late Wednesday night. That street runs off Eaton Road, near Lakeshore Boulevard.
The concern was the extremely cold temperatures. Firefighters go from battling flames inside a building where the temperature can be 200 degrees or hotter, outside where it is bitter cold. That can lead to heatstroke or hypothermia.
When the wind chill is below zero and crews are on the scene for several hours, some departments bring in buses, to give firefighters a place to get warm, rest and have their blood pressure monitored.
Firefighters battled three fires overnight and Thursday morning. In two of the cases, fires were caused by heating units.
Space heaters can be a great way to stay warm in the winter, but fire officials warn that they have to be used properly and safely to avoid fires and other problems.
They offer this advice: always plug space heaters directly into the wall, don't use extension cords. Don't place space heaters or portable heaters too close to curtains or other flammable items.
In one case, the fire started on the front porch of a home on LeFrois Street in Rochester. Three adults and five children escaped the burning home. They were awakened by smoke detectors and alerted to the fire. One dog died in that fire.
Neighbor Violetta Rodriguez said she could see the orangle glow from the flames in her window across the street. Rodriguez told 13WHAM News that she believed the neighbors used the space heater to keep their dogs warm on the porch of the home.
A house fire in Dansville early Thursday morning was blamed on a wood burning stove in a storage building adjacent to the home. Two adults and six children got out safely. Smoke alarms as well as smoke in the home, alerted them to the fire.
Firefighters in Dansville also had to truck in tankers of water because there were no hydrants in the area.
