Heat Wave: The Volunteers Behind the Fire Fighters

Saturday night fire crews in Saline County still patrolling an area that lit up in flames earlier that afternoon.

Over 300 acres burned in both Saline and Grant Counties forcing dozens of people from their homes.

Fire fighters battled the fire for hours Saturday afternoon, finally getting a good handle on it around 4 p.m.

Crews said the fire pretty much did what it wanted to, dying down in one spot only to make a run and pick back up on another set of trees.

North East Saline County Fire Chief, Bob Franklinin said his 42 years of fire service ,this is only the second time he's seen fires like this.

It's a tough fight for primarily volunteer crews, which makes it that much more important to have people there watching their backs.

60 people were evacuated but most of them had a place to go, which left volunteers able to focus their care on the crews on the front lines of the fight.

"Those people that the fireman are out there taking care of, they'll step up and say 'What can we do for you, what can we do to help?" said Bunny Franklin, a volunteer and wife of Chief Franklkin. She added it's not hard to find people willing to help a firefighter.

Natasha Donham was one of the first to offer a hand Saturday. With the fire potentially threatening her home she made time to make peanut butter sandwiches for the fire crews. She knows they're there for her.

"Just trying to take care of us that have families and are surrounded out here," Donham said.

It was an emotional scene for Donham, her late father was a firefighter, and she knows just how important having someone on the sidelines can be.

"As he was an officer and being a firefighter and it being as hot as it is."

While it may be hot now, Chief Franklin added, "We haven't seen anything yet, this is just the tip of the iceburg."

He said statewide conditions have become so extreme that by the time they respond to fires they are three times the size they normally are.

Saturday's fire brought out 6 different agencies and 85 firefighters.

Having a staging area for these guys is just as vital to containing a fire than the actual act of putting it out.

Without a cooler full of water, sometimes stocked by volunteers, these guys could have a long summer.

"They know they can't fight the fire but they can help ensure that the fireman themselves are kept safe," said Bunny Franklin.

Homeowners were able to return home Saturday night, but it's a very good possiblity that it could pop back up. Homeowners should expect to see fire crews patrolling around the clock.