Two firefighters fall victim to venomous spiders

A fire station in Huntsville, Alabama, has an alarming situation.

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Two firefighters were bitten by rarely seen brown recluse spiders, local station WHNT-TV reports, and officials there allowed that Station 17 is besiged by the arachnids.

One day later, the building was being sprayed for pests. Fire crews were moved to another station in the interim.

Capt. Frank McKenzie of Huntsville Fire and Rescue confirmed to WHNT-TV that the two firefighters were bitten.

No one knows how the spiders got there, but brown recluses are rarely seen, the National Capital Poison Center says. They're dangerous because their "venom can cause serious wounds and poisoning," the agency says. The venom kills tissue, causing lesions that often need medical attention.

The two firefighters are recovering and have returned back to work. Station 17 will reopen sometime next week.

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