COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Flames, explosions, zero visibility, and temperatures reaching up to 700 degrees. Fire Ops 101 is just a glimpse into what they’re really up against.

A response would take them minutes consumed our entire day.

Just getting setup with the hydrant and hose is half the battle.

When you’re dealing with a high rise situation, sometimes you’re going to have to carry up a 25 pound hose to fight the fire. You have to keep in mind you haven’t even started the job yet and you’re already winded.

And you better get up there fast. Captain Pat Hines with the Albany Fire Department tell s NEWS10’s Samantha DiMascio the fires they fight today are much different than when we furnished our homes with simple wood fixtures and cotton couches.

Now we fill them with electronics and synthetic materials that very literally add fuel to the fire.

What once took 15-20 minutes to ignite now takes just two minutes. It burns faster and it burns hotter.

Now imagine heading inside and knowing there’s people trapped inside.

To simulate a search and rescue in that thick black smoke, we were blindfolded forced to crawl on our hands and knees feeling for bodies.

An incredible challenging day both physically and emotionally, only to be told, this pales in comparison to reality.

“We can’t really add the danger or tragedy or the unpredictability of a fire scene or car accident,” Hines said. “So we stress that point, but it is a look into it.”