Firefighters Battle Heat Wave

Photo by Google Images. The 25-acre fire located off of Peabody Road spreads quickly due to the current heat wave.

Springfield, PA - The current spell of hot, dry weather that has held the area in its grasp for the last few weeks is taking its toll on both the grasslands and firefighters.

Saturday, in the wake of 15- and 25-mile per hour winds and a high temperature of 99 degrees, fire protection agencies across the area responded to 16 calls.

The largest fire was a 25--acre grass fire located on Peabody Road. On-site paramedics treated five firefighters for heat exhaustion, according to Springfield County Fire Chief Debra Schuster.

In addition, three other firefighters were hospitalized for heat exhaustion, two of which were flown to Springfield Hospital by helicopter. All of the firefighters were treated and released.

Dennis Sapp, fire caption of Station No. 1, said that the blaze on Peabody Road burned for about an hour before it was contained. She suspects it was started by a “trash fire.” The blaze endangered some nearby farmland and the barn but was extinguished before anything but grass was burnt.

Schuster said that fires had been starting all day, especially in the northern part of the city and county. Some of the fires could have been the work of an arsonist, but careless burning is the more likely cause.

“We don’t have any evidence there is an arsonist,” Schuster revealed. “We sure hope we don’t have someone running around starting fires on purpose, but there is that possibility.”

Related news: Medical Advice