DENHAM SPRINGS - Flames destroyed a house Saturday in Denham Springs on Vincent Circles Avenue. No one was home when the fire broke out before 7 a.m., but one firefighter collapsed from heat exhaustion. 

"We've had several fighters who have come out of structures and had to be treated by EMS on the scene," Justin Hill, public information officer for the Baton Rouge Fire Department, said. 

Hill also fights fires in the heat. 

"There's been times when you have been working, and you start seeing little spots," Hill said. 

Firefighters must carry 60 pounds of gear, like oxygen tanks and heavy fire-proof jackets to help protect themselves, but Hill says sometimes that can make matters even worse. 

"The same gear that protects us from the fire actually kinda hurts us during the summer months because all that gear and equipment holds the heat in. It doesn't cool us down," he explained.

During the dog days of summer, a support team follows firefighters on calls to protect them as they battle the flames. 

"We have a service truck and their job is to provide refreshments, so we have enough people to protect ourselves," Hill said.

The firefighter injured in Denham Springs was treated at the scene and released.