Caught in relentless heat, hire protective cover (6)

I believe the answer is:

sheath

'protective cover' is the definition.
(I know that sheath is a type of protective cover)

'caught in relentless heat hire' is the wordplay.
'caught in' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'SHEATH' is hidden within 'relentless heat hire'.

(Other definitions for sheath that I've seen before include "Sword covering" , "jacket" , "case for weapon" , "Cover for a blade" , "Covering for blade" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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