Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

TUCSON-Northwest fire has taken at least a dozen heat-related calls this month.

Just Thursday, the fire department responded to a man whose temperature was over 104 degrees.

He had been out on his patio for about three hours in the blazing sun.

He was resting outside much like a man we found out under a pavilion at a Marana park.

He said he's been out here since about eleven in the morning.

He didn't leave until just before 5 p.m.

Thursday it was an elderly man who firefighters responded to.

He ended up in the intensive care unit at a nearby hospital.

Firefighters said it just goes to show you that even the simple things that we do in a hot environment, even if it's just sitting outdoors, takes a toll on your body.

Chris Randall said he has indoor allergies, so he frequently just hangs out outdoors even in hot temperatures to escape his allergies, but firefighters warn the time to sit outside is not in triple digit heat.

"Stay out of the heat. There's just not any good reason other than being firefighters, emergency responders or other jobs that require people to be outside for anyone to be outside," said Northwest fire captain Adam Goldberg.

Randall said he's careful not to dehydrate when he's outdoors.

"For me the combination of the being in the shade and drinking a lot of water way more than I normally would makes it doable for me," he said.

Randall said he drinks at least 24 ounces of water an hour, but firefighters warn being outdoors for an extended amount of time anytime between eleven to 6 p.m. can kill you, and they hope people take that warning seriously.