Steam? No sweat.

As a ride-along/observer with the CFB I was issued boots, gloves, helmet, and a set of turnout gear. Unlike my regular American turnouts, which are very thick and cumbersome, danish turnout gear was very thin, like a light jacket.

In terms of maneuverability thin is great, but how could this gear possibly protect the wearer from the fires heat? And, given that CFB uses steam conversion as the primary method of fire attack, how do they not get steam burns?

The answer is rather clever. The firefighters regular work uniform is a tight sweat wicking layer (Seen below), when they get a call they put a cotton sweatshirt on over this and then they're turnout coat over that.

How does this help? Well think about this: moisture conducts heat, if your skin is wet from sweat, heat can transfer from the environment to your body much faster. By wearing a sweat wicking layer, moisture is pulled off your skin and the sweatshirt absorbs it leaving your skin dry and better insulated from the heat.

   Henry wearing the sweat wicking work shirt, yours truly smiling like a dope