The weekend's extreme heat has added a dangerous factor to firefighters' work in East Tennessee.
Multiple blazes popped up in the region Saturday and Sunday. Two occurred in Knox and Sevier counties as temperatures reached 100 degrees.
A Sevierville fire at a vacant restaurant early Sunday morning sent one firefighter to Leconte Medical Center with a heat related illness.
Another fire in Corryton also had an impact on firefighters. Crews responded to a house fire in that northeast Knox County community around 1 p.m., Sunday. No firefighters suffered from heat exhaustion, but they had to be rotated from service every 15 minutes.
"We've tried to keep them well hydrated," said Rural Metro Battalion Chief Jonathan Rood.
Firefighters on that scene also had their vital signs checked around the clock. Rural Metro, which worked the Corryton fire, monitored the blood pressure and heart rates of its firefighters.
According to Rural Metro, when the body heats up, the heart will also speed up to cool down the body.
"We have to really pay attention to their vital signs," Rood said.
Rural Metro firefighter Michael Robinson Sr. also helped other firefighters on scene with his "HeatSeeker" equipment, which lowers the ambient air temperature around firefighters by 30 degrees.
"It's very effective to help firefighters rehab," Robinson said.