How the heat took its toll in the Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds of people, who retreated from the heat by staying in their Northwest Fresno homes, had their comfort disrupted by a power outage, Wednesday night.

Streets sat dark in Northwest Fresno Wednesday, as temperatures rose inside people's homes. But utility crews worked quickly to start the power flow again.

In Madera County, a faulty air conditioner likely sparked a house fire that took a toll on the firefighters who had to battle it in the triple digit heat.

"I can maybe get 5 to 7 minutes out of these guys, before I have to take them to strip down, give them some water and let them rest for a few minutes," said Madera County Battalion Chief Rhonda Myers. "And then ask them to and do it again."

The Madera County Support Team responded, delivering water, food and place to rest for the Madera City and County firefighters.

"When it's 106 outside it's probably 150 inside their suits," said Larry Wolford. "And we're here to help them cooled down."

Earlier in the day, people waiting to catch a FAX bus at Manchester Center did what they could to deal with soaring temperatures.

And as the mercury dropped along with the sun, in the North valley, road crews worked to resurface Highway 99. The primary reason for repairing roads during the late evening is to avoid traffic. But on extremely hot days it also helps to avoid the heat.

"We get used to it, it plays a factor in how we feel, but we get used to it," said Mike Rabe.

PG&E is blaming Wednesday's power outage on faulty equipment. It's unclear whether the heat played a role.

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