Lt. Chris Ritenour from Rockingham County Fire and Rescue enjoyed the air conditioning inside the Grottoes Volunteer Fire Station Friday.

Just hours earlier, he was fighting a scorching mulch fire miles down the road.

Ritenour says, "The heat that you feel is like walking into a furnace. Trying to work with that is very consuming on the body."

Along with firefighters from several stations in the Valley, Ritenour battled the flames and the extreme heat that has swept through the area.

Add to all that the burden of carrying heavy equipment.

"The gear that we wear weighs 50 pounds. It's like having a fourth grader on your back when you're trying to work," comments Ritenour.

Lt. Josh Bailey from the Grottoes Volunteer Fire Department was also working the fire, located at a pallet company just outside of town on Route 340.

"The length of time on the scene was different than normal," says Bailey.

He says, because of the heat, firefighters had to take constant breaks, which meant they needed more manpower to take shifts.

Bailey says, "We're at a disadvantage to start with. Add the extreme condition of the heat outside and it's going to shorten the amount of time you can perform certain activities without being rehabbed."

Firefighters have left the scene, but they will have equipment set up on locations through the weekend in case something else happens.