Residents across the Triangle seek relief from dangerous weekend temperatures
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Despite the weekend's scorching weather, people could be seen out and about in the Triangle.
Some were even tailgating hours before the Tim McGraw show at PNC Arena on Saturday.
"The heat will not deter us," said Annette Jackson, who drove from Fayetteville with her sister Sherry Lee. "I like it hot so it's okay."
Another family from Wake Forest brought a tent with them to put in the parking lot.
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Southern Boundaries Park in Durham was quiet which likely had a lot to do with the heat and the fact that the tennis courts are closed.
Matt Hughes moved to Durham a month ago from Charlotte and was out for a walk on Saturday.
"We had big plans to do a bike ride today but it's quite hot so we tabled those plans and went to the NC Botanic Gardens in Chapel Hill and had lunch in the shade," said Matt.
On Sunday, Cameron Kersey and Austin Barbour were two of the countless people who took to the water to find relief from another day of temperatures in the upper 90s. The two drove down to Jordan Lake from Alamance County and said they were taking some breaks from the blistering sun.
"Stay hydrated, like your body because it's pretty hot. If you don't stay hydrated, you will pass out," said Kersey.
Beaches were packed with swimmers and the waterways were busy with boaters as people tried again to stay cool amid dangerously high temperatures.
"If you get lightheaded you better get back out, that's how I look at it. Or get back on the sand," said Barbour.
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Across the Triangle, the triple-digit "feels like temps" had first responders taking extra precautions, too. Dylan Briggs, a Captain with the Morrisville Fire Department, said when they're responding to a fire, firefighters will routinely be carrying up to 100 pounds worth of protective gear and equipment - an additional concern in the hot weather.
"It's not just when we come into work at 7 o'clock in the morning for our 24-hour shift. It starts the day before, or a couple of days before. Our off days, making sure we stay hydrated before we come into work," Briggs said.
Briggs said when it gets this hot, they'll often have to call for reinforcements that they wouldn't need to rely on typically.
"Where a fire in the wintertime may take 25-30 firefighters to suppress, that same fire today may take 40 firefighters, just because it's hotter outside, that rehab period and we'll need more people to relieve those who are working," he said.
WATCH | Authorities warn people to be aware of dangerous heat
