A Langley Township district fire chief is in much better condition today, after going into cardiac arrest while fighting a shed blaze on Tuesday afternoon.

The 48-year-old firefighter, whose name is being withheld at the family’s request, was undergoing an angioplasty at Royal Columbian Hospital on Thursday.

He’s expected to make a full recovery, said Township assistant fire chief Bruce Ferguson.

Ferguson visited him in hospital on Wednesday morning and found him surrounded by his family. He was undergoing a series of tests. Ferguson said he’s improved a lot from when he saw him taken away in ambulance.

The excessive heat is thought to have contributed to the chief’s collapse, he said.

A Township district fire chief was one of the first on scene in the 1800 block of 216 Street.

The fire was burning in a shed next to a house when firefighters arrived. Crews managed to put out the flames before it spread to the nearby house.

Although this was an accidental fire, the situation illustrates the toll that fighting fires can take, even on seasoned professionals.

It’s also a warning to be extremely cautious during these dry conditions.

“People need to be really vigilant during the heat wave we are experiencing,” said Ferguson.

“Not only are back yard fires illegal, but they put our crews at risk when they have to go out and fight them. It is our firefighters’ job to protect the public, property, and the environment, but when the temperature soars this high, it really puts their health at risk — especially when you consider the heavy turn-out gear that firefighters must wear.”

“We’ve got families to go home to, too, and we want all our crews to go home safe at the end of the day,” Ferguson said.

Two other firefighters who were battling Tuesday’s blaze also suffered from the heat and were checked out by paramedics on site, but didn’t need to be hospitalized.

“Dealing with emergencies in all kinds of conditions is part of the job, but we’ve never faced anything quite this serious before,” Ferguson said.