A fire left a Cicero home destroyed and the volunteers who worked to put it out had a difficult time getting it under control.

"Now is a great time to help us," said Cicero Fire Department Chief George Barrett. "The manpower issues are horrible, especially during the day."

Volunteers are all a necessary part of the operation — something made apparent during an afternoon fire on Lakeshore Road.

"[Taming the flames] are really rough. It's gotten a lot worse over the last couple of years [because we have] a lot of people at work [equating to] less manpower," Barrett said.

Many local departments are made up solely of volunteers. When there's a shortage, departments from all over are called in to help — which is what happened Wednesday, where at least three other agencies responded.

Belgium Cold Springs Fire Chief Matt Speach says being called in was a special circumstance due to their distance, but the size of the fire and staffing required it. Speach has been volunteering for 20 years.

"It means everything. The only regret I have is just not joining sooner. It's a way for me to help out the community and give back," Speach said. 

He says these manpower issues can be all too common, and in this case, support from nearby volunteers was crucial.

"Many hands make light work. It goes a long way when you have neighboring departments willing to help out," Speach said.

The Red Cross is helping eight people impacted by the Cicero fire as investigators still search for a cause.