2 NEBRASKA FIREFIGHTERS OVERCOME BY HEAT AT FIRE
August 4, 2016
Two volunteer firefighters were overcome by the heat early Thursday as they fought a fire in the Ponca Hills neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska.
Several volunteer firefighting units and Omaha firefighters battled the early morning fire at a house on an acreage near U.S. Highway 75 and Calhoun Road north of Interstate 680.
One firefighter from Ponca Hills was seriously injured and taken to Immanuel Medical Center. Another volunteer firefighter, from Irvington, was critically injured and also taken to Immanuel.
Ponca Hills Fire Chief Joel Sacks said the injured firefighters were overcome by heat exhaustion while battling the blaze in hot and humid conditions. He said the Ponca Hills firefighter was released from Immanuel on Thursday morning and the Irvington firefighter was released a little later Thursday.
Sacks said firefighters were forced to run their hoses 100 to 200 feet from the nearest hydrant to the driveway’s entrance and then another 800 feet along the driveway to the home.
“That slowed things down a bit,’’ he said. “Logistically, it’s a nightmare to lay all that stuff out.’’
The blaze, which began in a pickup truck in the driveway before spreading to the home’s garage and then to the house, was reported at 1:20 a.m. Sacks said the cause was ruled as accidental.
One person and a couple of dogs were home when the fire began, he said. All escaped unharmed.
Volunteer units from Ponca Hills, Boys Town, Bennington, Irvington and Fort Calhoun responded to the blaze.
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2 firefighters hospitalized after blaze north of Omaha
Updated: Thu 11:42 AM, Aug 04, 2016
OMAHA, Neb. -- Two fire fighters are recovering from heat exhaustion after battling a house fire in Ponca Hills early Thursday morning.
The fire was reported in a home near Ponca Road and North 48th Street around 1:30 a.m.
Authorities say the cause was accidental. It apparently began in a vehicle, spread through the garage and then worked its way up to a second floor bedroom.
No one in the home was injured. A dog was also rescued with the help of a little oxygen. The dog, Trouble, ran back into the home after crews had cleared the scene.
The two fire fighters suffering from heat exhaustion are expected to be okay. One of them was pulled from the home and placed on a stretcher.
One fire fighter from Ponca Hills had been released from the hospital as of 7 a.m. The second, from Irvington fire, was doing better and staying the hospital a little longer to recuperate.
Fire fighters from Irvington, Bennington, Fort Calhoun, Boys Town and Omaha were called in to assist battle the fire in the hot, humid conditions. Crews went through over 75 bottles of water.
Along with the weather they were also challenged by distance. The fire hydrant was at the bottom of a hill leaving crews to pull close to 900 feet of hose.
Ponca Hills Fire Chief Joel Sacks called it a, "difficult location, extremely long driveway."
They had the fire largely under control within approximately 45 minutes. The homeowners said they have family nearby to stay with. The home is a partial loss.