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Firefighters Feeling The Heat, 4 Hospitalized

MILFORD (WWJ) - Four firefighters were briefly hospitalized for heat exhaustion while fighting a massive house fire on Monday night, said Milford Fire Chief Larry Waligora.

With a heat advisory in effect until Thursday evening, the extreme heat is creating miserable conditions for local firefighters, which caused four of them to be sent to the hospital.

"I would imagine core body temperatures to get over 100 degrees in the body which makes your heart race," said Waligora.  "That was one of the big concerns as your heart rate elevates to dangerous levels and that's why all four of those people were transported."

Waligora said he called in help from neighboring communities to fight the fire, which was fully engulfed when the homeowner arrived home around 8:30 p.m. on Monday night.

"Our three firefighters from Milford went to Huron Valley-Sinai," said Waligora.  "They were given IV solution just to replenish them fluids in their body.  They probably gave them some electrolytes as well.  The Lyon Township firefighter went to Providence Park in Novi."

Waligora said it didn't take too long for them to be overcome.

"I would say an hour, hour and a half," said Waligora.  "We were rotating people, but we would get them out of the area, get them some water, try to cool them down a minute but we had to bring them back in eventually and start working again.  Of course, you're already hot and tired."

Waligora said the heat from the fire and extra weight of wet gear only makes things worse.  The volunteer firefighters returned to their day jobs on Tuesday.

The hot weather will last for the rest of the week for the Metro Detroit area.  High temperatures are expected to stay in the mid-90s with nightly lows only in the 70s.  An air quality alert remains in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday night.

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