UPDATED: Pushed to Limits, Seven Firefighters Hospitalized after Saunderstown Blaze

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI—Seven firefighters were hospitalized after suffering heat exhaustion and dehydration battling a two-alarm fire on Rose Hill Road on Friday.

Firefighters had to contend with thick overgrown brush that impeded their access to the house, said North Kingstown Fire Chief Scott Kettelle. They also faced serious heat in the building and fast-moving flames that quickly spread from the first floor up the walls to the second and third floors.

Crews still managed to save most of the house, which suffered water, fire and smoke damage to about 40 percent of the structure, Kettelle said. While the damage was serious, "the structure can be rebuilt," the chief said.

All of the injured firefighters were treated with IV fluids at the hospital and all are expected to be released before night's end, Kettelle said.

The lone occupant of the house when the fire broke out suffered burns but refused transport and was treated at the scene by paramedics.

Kettelle said that of the seven firefighters, six were from North Kingstown. One was from Warwick, which provided support to North Kingstown firefighters after first responders called for a second alarm. North Kingstown also received mutual aid from Narragansett, East Greenwich, Jamestown and South Kingstown who covered numerous calls as local crews dealt with the fire.

Kettelle said that firefighters were at the house at 15 Rose Hill Road for most of the day. Upon arrival, firefighters saw they were dealing with a tough fire; the old house was built with balloon frame construction, Kettelle said, which means "when the fire gets into the walls, it travels vertically."

In this case, the fire moved rapidly toward the third floor. And access was impeded by vegetation on the property. Plus, firefighters were confronting the scorching fire as outside temperatures pushed into the mid-90s. After the second alarm was called, crews were able to get control of the fire "but they continued to chase hot spots for a few hours."

"It was not a textbook fire to say the least," Kettelle said.

Kettelle said firefighters did a remarkable job considering the circumstances, especially since their shifts had begun the night before and had been continuously busy. The department responded to 24 calls by 5 p.m. Friday, and counting.

The night before, crews joined firefighters in Exeter to battle a large brush fire behind the former Bald Hill Nurseries site on Route 2. They used more than 300,000 gallons of water to get control of the fire, beginning their efforts at around 3:45 a.m.

"It's the same guys for many of these calls," Kettelle said.

As crews battled hotspots, a possible tornado ripped the roof from a business in Quonset as a powerful band of thunderstorms barreled across Rhode Island. Though the storm brought almost two inches of rain in some areas, it clipped the fire scene on Rose Hill Road and not a drop fell.

Kettelle said as of Friday afternoon he had not been advised as to whether the firefighters hospitalized today will be able to return to work tomorrow. Chances are, he said, "I'll end up having to hold over to tomorrow the guys working tonight."