Two Winfield firefighters were treated at William Newton Hospital Wednesday afternoon after suffering heat exhaustion at the scene of a duplex fire at 338 Eastman Drive.
Fire Marshal Gary Bowker and firefighter Alan Smith both suffered from high humidity and fairly warm temperatures, said Bowker. Both were later released.
“You sweat and get hot underneath that gear, but when it’s humid your body can’t evaporate the sweat,” said Bowker. “With that high humidity, your body can’t cool itself effectively.”
Bowker said today he was a little tired, but doing well.
“I’m up and about and feeling fine,” he said.
Firefighters responded to the duplex fire shortly before 3 p.m. One duplex was destroyed, while the other sustained smoke damage, said Bowker. Neither duplex was occupied at the time of the fire, but new renters Patricia and Alicia Strickland, a mother and daughter, lost all their belongings in the blaze. The Stricklands did not have insurance.
“They had many of their household and personal items moved in, but they weren’t living there yet,” said Bowker.
The fire marshal estimates about $30,000 in damages was caused by the fire, which was started by a malfunctioning window air conditioning unit. It took the department about 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze, but investigators were on the scene until 7 p.m. Wednesday night.
The duplex is owned by Dale Eastman. Bowker said it was probably built some time in the 1950s.
