Firefighters across the state have been battling wildfires and woods fires all summer long. Now researchers at N.C. State are working to make sure firefighting gear is doing its job for those who risk their lives to keep us safe.

Firefighters work under extreme conditions. And the extra exposure to heat from the flames and the sun takes an even greater toll in a wildfire.

"A woods fire is a whole different monster,” said Durham Assistant Fire Chief Willie Hall, from where crews were battling a blaze last week. “Where you've got to have the gear to protect yourself, but you're also under the sun's heat for long durations - not as quick of an attack as it would be during a normal structure fire."

Heavy suits that protect firefighters from the blaze can also make it difficult for them to stay cool, especially when they're on for hours at a time.

That's where researchers at N.C. State come in. A new $1 million grant from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security will allow them to study the delicate balance of keeping firefighters both safe and comfortable.

Dr. Roger Barker has already designed better, more flexible fire suits. This grant will take his work to another level.

"You know that the research you do will have such a positive benefit for people who are out there risking their lives, literally, to protect us," Barker said.

Researchers will run tests and collect data over two years, by simulating the a firefighter's on-the-job challenges using a mannequin.

"What the mannequin represents is the analog of a human being,” Barker said. “In other words, it loses heat like a sweating human would."

By measuring heat loss, they can evaluate which materials work best. There's also the flame test - where researchers set fire to a dummy, simulating the most severe circumstances.

When the smoke lifts, more fire suits that protect those who protect us, may very well come from N.C. State.