Blazing heat fells dozens of N.Y.C. firefighters with heat exhaustion

By Perry Chiaramonte 
The New York Post
Copyright 2006 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

Almost three dozen firefighters succumbed to searing heat and humidity yesterday battling a three-alarm blaze that gutted sections of a Brooklyn building and left some 100 people temporarily homeless.

Thirty firefighters were treated at Kings County Hospital for heat exhaustion and another five for minor burns they suffered putting out the blaze at 201 Linden Boulevard in Flatbush.

The 1:30 p.m. fire forced the evacuation of sections of the sprawling building.

While the Red Cross helped relocate six families whose apartments were the most seriously damaged, the remaining residents cooled off in local Councilwoman Yvette Clarke's air-conditioned offices, while local businesses donated food and drinks.

"The toughest thing was when the toddlers wanted to watch the cartoon 'Arthur' and the older ones wanted to watch Nickelodeon. It was tough refereeing," said Clarke spokesman Rance Huff.

Most of the families returned home after Con Ed turned the electricity back on around 10 p.m.

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