Fairfield residents wilt under blistering 107 degree heat
FAIRFIELD -- Some of the worst of the heat landed on the Fairfield area Tuesday. While the area is no stranger to high temperatures, even locals acknowledged that it was much hotter than usual.
"As a Fairfield worker, resident, being out here, absolutely, today is a hot one," said Marvin Jones as he started his day.
Any job outside was going to be hot, but some jobs are hotter than others.
"This is Gregory Kettle-Be Poppin'," Jones explained of his kettle-corn stand, standing in the baking sun.
"I'm gonna go ahead and lift this up, and fire it up," Jones said, starting the heat and a new batch. "And then we're going to get things stirring around. The poppin' is going to begin, please be careful. It will get vicious a little bit. Got corn popping, sugar flying everywhere. It's sticky. It's a hot job."
Marvin says coping with high heat is part of the work, but days like this make it a test.
"This is my little baby fan," he said, holding up his neck-worn device." I just felt the difference. I got like 5° hotter right when I took it off. The tent helps a little bit, for the simple fact that you're not in the direct sun. But once that kettle comes on, it's like the tent leaves."
In Fairfield on Tuesday, it looked like a lot of people decided to avoid the heat altogether. Downtown sidewalks were very quiet. Parks of every kind were deserted.
"Yep, it's too hot," said parent Heidi Studer. "Too hot to be at the park. They're not shaded. The equipment gets hot to the touch."
On the cusp of the school year, Studer was desperate to get the kids outside.
"So there's not much else to do," she said, having brought the kids to the downtown fountain to cool off. "And I'm worn out. They're about to start school. I don't wanna show up anywhere to the waterpark. I'm tired. This is close, and easy."
So the heat advisory did not stop everyone. Jones says he expects hotter days in the months ahead. Something that just comes with the job.
"I'm going to sweat if I'm walking or if I'm working," he laughed. "So I might as well go ahead and sweat while I work."
