PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Another heatwave is headed to the metro area this week as dozens of wildfires continue to burn across the state.
Local firefighters are continuing to help wildland crews, after Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act on July 20.
When it comes to fighting wildfires in the summer, there’s not much firefighters can do to prepare.
“There’s no other way to say that it’s just uncomfortable,” said Eric Oatfield, safety chief with Portland Fire & Rescue.
Oatfield recently returned home from his 14-day deployment, where he helped crews fight four different wildfires in Oregon. He said whether you’re working the day shift or the night shift, there is hardly any relief from the heat.
The gear firefighters wear weighs around 60 pounds. Combine that with a long shift in triple-digit temperatures and the job gets even tougher.
“You reach a point in time where everybody’s …