FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE HEAT

At 11 a.m. Saturday, it was already 90 degrees when firefighters strapped on 50 pounds of gear each to fight a fire on Middle Street.

"We had a structure fire," said Capt. Paul Lufcy with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. "Everybody was soaking wet, but it all is just part of the game."

With the heat bearing down on them, Lufcy said after one oxygen tank a firefighter is spent. Normally the tank lasts around 30 minutes. But with extreme heat, one tank tends to last about 20 minutes.

The gear covers the whole body, making it difficult to stay cool.

"Everything is covered," Lufcy said. "Not one part of the body is supposed to be exposed."

The temperatures at the ceilings of a building on fire can be as hot 1,200 degrees. On the ground, the temperature is usually about 250 degrees.

"That is why you see firefighters do a lot of crawling because it is a lot cooler at the floor," Lufcy said.

But crawling can be physically demanding -- especially with all of the weight of the gear. Firefighters do lift weights to increase strength, but the most important thing is to build up their cardiovascular system to be able to withstand the conditions.

Lufcy said because of the unpredictable nature of the trade, firefighters make sure to drink plenty of water so they don't dehydrate when they are called to a fire -- something that is extremely important with the recent weather conditions in Southeast Missouri.

"That is why they call it 'Swampeast Missouri,' because it is so hot and humid," Lufcy said.

Already 32 people have died due to heat-related causes in Missouri. Nationwide, there have been 133 deaths and the number is climbing. Illinois has 49 dead because of the heat. In Chicago, temperatures have reached the 99-degree mark. And this July has been the hottest in New York City history.

On the local scene, Leeman Earl Gerecke, 69, of Gordonville, Roland Waters, 64, of Sikeston and Mable Bollinger, 83, of Chaffee, have all died due to the heat.

On Saturday, the heat index rose to 108 with highs of 96 degrees.

There is some relief in sight. Ryan Presley, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Paducah, said the heat advisory has been lifted.

"It basically has expired," Presley said. "We expect a cold front."

The cold front is not exactly the frigid temperatures people normally associate with the term. Presley said the temperatures are not expected to exceed 90 degrees and there should some cooler weather.

But lifting the heat advisory does not mean that all precautions can be ignored. It still is advisable to drink lots of water, and to watch for signs of heat exhaustion. Anyone who feels nausea, dizziness, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness and weakness and heavy sweating should slow down and get some medical attention.