Extreme Texas heat impacts several people working outside
AUSTIN, Texas - The extreme heat impacted several people who were working outside on Tuesday.
An Austin firefighter is recovering from a heat-related illness after working a fire in North Austin, and a dog walker was rescued after getting lost on a trail and passing out.
"We have seen a lot of smoke, and we heard the fire alarm go off," Austin resident Sandra Hunt said.
Austin Fire responded to a group home on Blossom Bell Drive in North Austin a little after 9 a.m. Tuesday.
"We were trying to put it out ourselves, but we had a hard time the fire department out here the window had blown up and everything," Hunt said.
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Hunt said she saw her couch and electric wheelchair on fire and was somehow able to get out.
"It was supernatural because I didn’t know anything else to do but try to move my legs, so that’s what I did," Hunt said.
The American Red Cross is assisting the six people who are now displaced. Hunt said she’s thankful to the firefighters for coming quickly and containing the fire before it spread to the bedrooms.
"I thank God for anybody that’s out here risking their lives to help anyone, and I’m grateful for that because it could have been worse situation where they would have been digging bodies out of there," Hunt said.
One firefighter, and another person, were taken to the hospital for heat-related illness. Another person suffered smoke inhalation.
"Working in the building, extremely hot toxic environment, doing hard, very difficult tasks, it's very easy for a firefighter to not really notice that they are starting to develop some of the early warning signs of heat exhaustion," Austin Fire Department Wildfire Division Lt. Steve Gibbon said.
Another person suffered from heat exhaustion on a trail in South Austin.
"You think you’re bulletproof, and then you’re not," dog walker Duane Osborn said.
Hollie Costello said Osborn went to take her dogs on a walk near the Brodie Bridge at around 9 a.m. Tuesday. She didn’t hear from him for about three hours and started getting concerned. She began to look for him and her dogs.
"We called the police, and they sprung into action with their drones and mule carts, drove all around and couldn't find him, we went down to the end of Brodie, everywhere, we couldn't find him," Costello said.
Osborn said the heat got to him and he passed out.
"I didn’t think it was that hot but next thing you know I’m waking up," Osborn said.
Osborn said his phone died, so he didn’t have a way to contact anyone.
"I’m using the sun to try to make some sort of reflection, so they can see someone, I’m hollering help," Osborn said.
About an hour later, Osborn and the dogs were saved.
"I feel fine now once I got a little bit of water in me and got out of the heat, I’m fine,’ Osborn said, ‘When they tell you it’s heat advisory, believe them."
Costello said thankfully her dogs are fine.