MEMPHIS, TN— People passed out from the extreme heat and Memphis firefighters are warning everyone to be careful. The triple digit temperatures are pushing Shelby County's air quality alert into code orange range making it dangerous to be outside for long periods of time. One step outside and it's like you walked into an oven.
"It's very hot, it's like 104 degrees but it feels like 110,” said Chris Giobert who was trying to stay cool in Shelby Farms.
"It's hot out here but we are still working hard," said 12 year old Jahrey Robinson.
Robinson is working hard because he and his church members are trying to raise money for an educational trip.
"We're going to Bentonville, Arkansas to see the Crystal Bridges Museum,” said the fundraiser organizer Carol Ward.
The group spent the hottest hours of the day outside washing cars.
“We have a lot of water and we're taking breaks,” Ward told abc24 news.
"Our pastor Kenneth Whalum came and told us we need to drink a lot of water so we wont have any problems with our bodies and things, drinking water, and going to the gym to cool off,” said Robinson.
Good ideas since Memphis fire fighters have been treating a lot of heat related injuries. They say the main problem: people are not drinking enough water even when they don't feel thirsty.
"We encourage people that are out in the extreme temperatures today to stay hydrated, drink even more fluids than you normally would because your body will lose fluids fairly rapidly in hot temperatures," said Battalion Chief Keith Staples from the Memphis Fire Department.
First responders say if you have to be outside in extreme heat and take frequent breaks. Another word of caution with Fourth of July coming up don't think you can light your own fireworks. Counties throughout the Mid-South are under a burn ban including Shelby County.
