The Heat Is On In Oklahoma

It's the second day in a week of 100-degree heat. <br/><br/>This heat wave has already turned deadly in Oklahoma City. The heat is being blamed for two people's deaths there. The heat is also

Tuesday, July 18th 2006, 11:51 am

By: News On 6

It's the second day in a week of 100-degree heat.

This heat wave has already turned deadly in Oklahoma City. The heat is being blamed for two people's deaths there. The heat is also suspected in the death of a 54-year-old woman in Krebs.

Kevin Rowland with the state Medical Examinerâ€™s Office says a Coffeyville, Kansas, man died at a Tulsa hospital after being found collapsed in his yard. And another death in Tulsa is possibly heat-related, but Rowland says he doesn't have details.

The News on 6's Joshua Brakhage says in both of those confirmed heat-related deaths from Oklahoma City, the victims didn't have a running air conditioner.

An excessive heat warning for this part of Oklahoma has been extended through Friday night.

Monday, the Tulsa Heat Coalition opened two cooling stations for people who might not have air conditioning. One is located at the downtown Salvation Army on North Denver. The other is the community center at 2401 Charles Page Boulevard in Sand Springs. Both are open daily from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.

And the city of Muskogee has opened its Civic Center for Muskogee area residents. It will remain open daily until 8:30 PM.

Meanwhile, air conditioning repair requests are rising along with the mercury. The News on 6 went out with Air Force Heating and Air's Mike Swinford.

For the past two days, he's been braving 100 degree temperatures, working from sunup to sundown, to provide families some relief from the heat. "Yesterday, I had probably seven or eight stops, and today I've got just as many. So you just have to drink lots of fluids and enjoy the windshield time in between calls."

Now if you're having an air conditioning emergency, most repair companies will make themselves available 24-hours a day, but you will pay more for after hours work. Of course, you can always get on a waiting list, but right now it could be a few days before crews can get to you.