Heat wave moving into southeastern North Carolina, officials offer ways to keep cool

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A heatwave will be hovering over Wilmington for the next few days, with heat index values of almost 110 degrees- WECT has reached out to local fire officials on tips and tricks they have for beating the heat.

“Reduce the activity. Slow it down, today is not the day for gardening. Today is not the day for doing anything unless it has to do with palm trees and pools right,” Wendy Giannini-King, community risk reduction coordinator at Wilmington Fire Department, advised as her biggest tip.

”Reduce anything extra if you are cooking on the stovetop or the oven. Recognize that those things are are making heat... they are also technically a fire hazard, so if you reduce the the amount of cooking you were doing on your stovetop and in your oven, you’re fire safe and also you’re keeping cool.”

Pets face the same dangers humans do about brutal heat, and keeping them cool during this heat wave is important. An employee at The Dog Play Spot in Wilmington says there are ways they help pet-owners to beat the heat.

“We do usually about hourly yard switches where we go from outside to inside and just make sure that they’re drinking plenty of water,” the employee told WECT. “We have fans running in the yard both indoors and outdoors.”

With highs soaring locally, officials advise to follow your best judgement in the heat and stay outside as little as possible.

Copyright 2022 WECT. All rights reserved.