Firefighters hose down embarrassment

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-11  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

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WHEN three Swedish firefighters raced to their fire truck, the only thing burning was their red faces - they were all in their underwear.

The three men from Gavle, in central Sweden, had stopped at a swimming pool for a dip. When they returned to the pool locker room, they found someone had made off with their uniforms, their commander, Thomas Fahlstedt, said yesterday.

"Everything was gone except for the underpants and the shoes," Fahlstedt said. "They had to drive back wearing only those."

Fire officials reported Wednesday's theft to police, who promptly sent two officers - both female - to investigate.

Swedish news organizations reported the two officers were amused by the firemen's predicament. But they took the report seriously, arresting a man with a bag full of firefighters' gear, and returning the gear to the station.


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