Friday was the start of a prolonged heat wave in San Diego County.
The heat was expected to last through next Thursday, making it especially tough for people who work outdoors.
“You really don’t have an option,” mail carrier Andrew Pittman said.
He was taking his lunch break in the shade in the parking lot of a coffee shop in downtown Ramona to beat the heat.
It was 94 degrees at the time. Extreme heat or not, Pittman said people still need to get their mail. He's used to it by now, he said.
“We just want to be in the heat or we want to be just in the cold,” he said. “Either or, one or the other because going back and forth, it'll wreck you.”
To keep cool, Pittman said he relies on the kindness of strangers for a cup of ice here and there, free water or he pops into a store.
“(To) get a little bit of A/C,” he said. “Get a little bit of cool, and then honestly, just getting right back to it.”
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for portions of the county until Oct. 8. Temperatures are expected to reach 90 degrees near the coast and the upper 90s to mid-100s in the valleys.
When it gets that hot, Karam Shabba said he doesn’t even want to work. Though it’s hard to skip work when your dad is your boss. He works at KC Auto in Lakeside, which his dad owns.
“We do have fans,” Shabba said. “We always keep them on just to stay cool. That's the best we can do. We can’t have an A/C unit because the doors are always open (and) the air will go outside.”
It was 105 degrees in Lakeside.
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has issued public safety power shut-off warnings for more than two dozen communities, including Lakeside. SDG&E said it’s a precaution because high winds could down power lines and ignite a fire.
The risk of losing power could make it hard for some people to keep cool.
Pittman and Shaba can go home to a cool house, but for people experiencing homelessness, that’s not possible.
“I was trying to find some shade,” said Todd Lent, who was stationed outside of a store in Lakeside. “So cool drinks. Cool water. Stay hydrated.”
There are several cool zones throughout the county to help people beat the heat. The city of San Diego announced Friday that it was extending hours for libraries and recreation centers as places to cool down.
