Firefighters Battle Fire, Freezing Temps
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Firefighters Battle Fire, Freezing Temps Video by nbc26.com
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FOND DU LAC, WI--A house catches fire in Fond du Lac after the homeowner used a torch to heat the gutters.
It happened on East 2nd Street around two this afternoon. Firefighters battling not only the blaze, but also freezing temperatures.
No one was hurt but firefighters say this was a particularly tough fire to fight for two reasons. The fire was in the walls and the roof of the house. Plus it's bitterly cold out and all the water from their hoses was freezing over.
"Weather like this, it's worse than when it is 100 degrees out in the summer," said division chief Tom Wendt.
A tough day on the job for all these firefighters. Fighting a fire and fighting to stay warm.
"We try and rotate our guys through as much as we can" said Wendt.
An ambulance and a city bus on the scene as warming shelters for firefighters. But frostbite is just one concern. Ice, is another.
"That's a big issue. Slips and falls on that. You're carrying ladders, you're carrying hoses" said Wendt.
Firefighters spraying tons of water on the top floor of the home where the fire first started. They've put out the flames, but need to use more water to make sure all the hot spots are out too. A lot of water freezing over on the house and in the street.
The department called in public works crews, now plowing and salting the scene.
"We have a big water problem here. So that's our job, to keep the streets, so they are not slippery anymore" said yard master for the Fond du Lac Department of Public Works, Richard Sharp.
Crews also making sure the gutters don't get clogged with slush and ice. Meanwhile, firefighters doing their best to salvage what's left of the home.
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