Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Triple-digit temperatures are expected in Salt Lake City for the first time Thursday, as the hottest weather of the season takes hold over Utah.
Wednesday temporarily marked the hottest day of the year for Utah’s capital city at 97 degrees. People flocked to parks and pools or huddled inside their air- conditioned homes to beat the heat as emergency responders warned people to remain hydrated.
“You need to start drinking water before you start doing activity out in the sun that’s going to make you sweat,” Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Jasen Asay warned.
Asay said symptoms of a heat-related illness include fatigue, dizziness, headaches and disorientation.
He encouraged people who are recreating outdoors to watch others around them for those signs.
Erin Furgeson took her son, Jaxson, to Murray City Park’s playground Wednesday.
“We obviously bring our drinks and our snacks and just take little breaks and cool off,” she said.
Phillip Kuburic, who was at the park with his dad, felt the heat but didn’t seem to mind it.
“It’s really hot,” Kuburic said. “We were going to go swimming, but we’re just outside at the park because it’s a nice hot day.”
Other families were stuck at home trying to get their air conditioners fixed in time for the July heat.
Service technician Tyler Grant with Manwill Heating, Cooling and Plumbing said the business has been inundated recently with repair and service calls.
“Just everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to get them all done,” Grant said while working on an air conditioning unit at a home in Murray.
Grant cautioned when triple-digit temperatures arrive, it will take time for workers to get there to fix AC problems.
“Sometimes people have to wait a week, sometimes they’re lucky to get in same-day,” he said. “But as soon as we hit triple digits, no one will get in same-day.”
Firefighters cautioned about the fire potential with hot and dry conditions.
Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands spokesman Jason Curry said firefighters have seen recent close calls across the state, largely due to unsupervised kids setting off fireworks where they should not.
Curry said parents should supervise their children and adults should be the ones discharging the fireworks. He said no fireworks should be set off in restricted areas.
Asay recommended families setting off fireworks in their neighborhood have a pressurized hose ready, and stabilize fireworks that shoot into the air with bricks or rocks.
