A three-alarm fire tore through three New York row houses Monday, and crews faced intense heat from the flames and the weather, sending two firefighters to the hospital with heat exhaustion and partially melting another's face mask.
Watervliet and Watervliet Arsenal were among the multiple departments that responded to the fire at around 1:15 p.m., the Albany Times-Union reports. A cigarette tossed onto a pet bed ignited the back porch house, and the flames quickly spread to two nearby homes.
Crews worked to put out the fire as the outdoor temperatures reached around 93 degrees with the heat index going as high as 102. Inside one of the burning row houses, the heat became so brutal that a firefighter's face mask began to melt while he was wearing it.
Two Watervliet Arsenal firefighters suffered from heat exhaustion and were taken to the hospital. Two residents also were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
Mayor Charles Patricelli told the Times-Union that roughly 7 million gallons of waters were used to extinguish the fire. Firefighters remained at the scene into Tuesday morning to watch for hot spots.
Because of the extensive damage, the row homes will be demolished. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
