Firefighters climb aboard a fire truck and rush out for a dispatch.

Braving the scorching heat exceeding 35°C (95°F), they arrive at a dried-up rice paddy that could not be supplied with water.

With practiced hands, they pull out fire hoses and spray refreshing streams of water.

With a heatwave overlapping with a drought, farmers had requested emergency water supply support.

[Cha Hyun-cheol / Buk-myeon, Changwon: The drought was so severe, I am so grateful. I could even bow deeply to you... Thank you so much!]

[Han Ki-hong / Buk-myeon 119 Safety Center, Changwon Fire Headquarters: Within a range that does not disrupt dispatches, we are mobilizing fire trucks to provide as much agricultural water support as possible.]

Removing beehives, which surges during the summer, is also an indispensable duty.

Wearing thick protective suits, they clear out bees with insecticides and equipment.

A moment later, a paper wasp hive about half the size of a volleyball is revealed.

When he takes off his protective suit, sweat is streaming down his neck and his shirt is thoroughly soaked.

[Lee Won-jin / Firefighter, Gusan 119 Safety Center, Changwon Fire Headquarters: You can assume it is always wet. Body temperature rises significantly from sweat, and it is hot.]

[Kim Su-yun / Reporter: I tried wearing the protective suit myself. It has not even been 10 minutes since I put on the protective suit, and because the hot air and sweat from my whole body cannot escape, it feels just like being inside a sauna.]

Firefighters must also wear thick fire-resistant suits at fire scenes and confront flames.

During the summer, the risk of heat-related illnesses inevitably becomes even greater for them than anyone else.

[Kim Sa-hun / Firefighter, Jungang 119 Safety Center, Changwon Fire Headquarters: Since wind or anything like that does not pass through at all, you can think of heat as continuing to accumulate inside your body in the summer.]

In fact, on July 30, a firefighter who extinguished a daytime fire in Jindo, South Jeolla Province, was rushed to the hospital with symptoms of a heat-related illness.

The National Fire Agency stated that it will operate a heatwave safety countermeasure headquarters and strengthen safety management, such as guaranteeing sufficient rest for field personnel.

Tearing Down Beehives and Soaked in Sweat… Dispatching with Insecticides in Summer (August 4, 2026, 8 News)

(Reported by Kim Su-yun | Written by Bae Jun-hwi | Filmed by Jung Kyung-moon | Video Edited by Yoon Tae-ho | Designed by Kang Yoon-jung | Produced by SBS Digital News)