JOPLIN, Mo. — The heat added another element to what some Joplin firefighters had to deal with Wednesday afternoon.

That would be this shed fire, which started just before 11:30 outside a home in the 300 block of S. Sergeant Ave.

It’s thought the owner was doing some cleaning and spilled something flammable; an investigation is ongoing. It didn’t take crews long to get it under control; it was completely out a little more than an hour later, but they did have to deal with temperatures that were already near the mid-90s.

“This heat is, is almost impossible to work with. The crews don’t last as long, the fire burns hotter, it burns faster. It just causes so many issues. And we really have to watch over our guys so that they don’t get sick and have to go to the hospital. Our two local ambulance services take really, really good care of us, and they come out and make sure that we’re hydrated. They take vitals. They watch over ’em and then they’ll give ’em IV fluids if they need it,” said Andy Nimmo, JFD Deputy Chief.

No one was injured as a result of this fire. And, Nimmo reiterates what all local officials are saying right now: Avoid outdoor burning.