Sweltering temperatures on Sunday made the job even more difficult for Fall River firefighters who were battling a blaze on Country St.

Acting District Fire Chief Matt Johnson told ABC6 the firefighters had to carry 65 pounds of gear in temperatures that approached 90 degrees creating a great deal of concern about the well-being of the firefighters.

"There’s a lot of heat stress on the body so it's my job and the other district chief on the scene's job to rotate personnel through," said Johnson

The fire burned for hours and Johnson said that at one point he had to pull his firefighters out due to safety concerns.

"Heavy fire. Very difficult conditions. At this point we have multiple collapse areas so we're using defensive exterior operations,” said Johnson.

The building was vacant at the time of the fire because of damage caused by another fire that took place a few months ago.

The incident remains under investigation.

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