A Lancaster city firefighter talks to children who were playing in the water gushing from a fire hydrant that was illegally opened Tuesday on Juniata and South Plum streets.
A digital thermometer says the temperature is 101 degrees as Barry Miller cleans the windshield of a car at his lot along Manhiem Pike Tuesday at 4:22 p.m.
Tips for preventing heat-related illness
It's all about staying cool as the mercury hits the 100 degree mark this week.
But an effort to beat the heat could result in police charges for the person or people who opened several fire hydrants Tuesday afternoon in the southeast area of the city.
Just before 4 p.m., police and fire units were called to the area of South Marshall and Juniata streets for an open hydrant, according to county dispatchers.
Calls for additional open hydrants soon followed, police said. Open hydrants were reported in the areas of New Dauphin and South Marshall, South Lime and Juniata, Pershing and Locust and South Plum and Juniata, according to dispatchers.
City police Sgt. Bill Hickey said Tuesday night that police were still investigating the incidents and whether they were carried out by the same person.
He said police are reviewing footage from multiple cameras belonging to the Lancaster Community Safety Coalition in an effort to identify the suspect or suspects.
Hickey said police also are investigating whether Tuesday's incidents are related to the opening of a hydrant Monday night in the same area.
Yet another open hydrant was reported Tuesday night in the area of West Strawberry and Lafayette streets, police said.
Tuesday's hydrant-opening spree resulted in a call to city police from officials at the city's wastewater treatment plant inquiring about the unusual rush of water coming into the plant, Hickey said.
Charlotte Katzenmoyer, the city's director of public works, said an overabundance of water coming into the plant can result in an overflow into the Conestoga River.
Although a certain amount of overflow is permitted during an event such as a large rainstorm, there is no overflow allowance during dry weather, Katzenmoyer said.
An overflow could result in a fine by the state Department of Environmental Protection, she said.
The person or people responsible for opening the hydrants could be held accountable for the DEP fine and face summary or misdemeanor charges relating to tampering with a fire hydrant, Hickey said.
While opening a fire hydrant might seem like an innocent way to chill out on hot days, Hickey called it a "public danger."
Not only can the large amount of water cause damage to the roadway, but an open hydrant can mean reduced water pressure for residents, he said.
"That's not to mention what could happen if there's a fire and the fire department hooks up to find no water pressure," Hickey said.
They're all things to keep in mind as residents seek relief from a record-setting heat wave scorching the county and much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
"It's the hottest day in at least 15 years," AccuWeather meteorologist Mike Pigott said. "A lot of records fell."
In fact, Pigott said, more than 20 cities in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Allentown, Philadelphia and New York, burned up single-day temperature records.
"The heat is one of the most extreme the area has seen in the last few years," he added.
The local high for Tuesday was 100 degrees, topping the previous record for the date, which was 98, set in 1999.
And don't expect any relief Wednesday. Temperatures could climb even higher, to 102 degrees, Pigott said. The current record for Wednesday stands at 99 degrees, set in 1988.
"I was literally drenched in sweat" during a brief walk, Millersville University student D.J. Hoffman said. "It was sort of like the desert: extremely hot."
Like any good meteorology student who knows his weather, Hoffman tried to "stay inside as much as possible, drink fluids and keep the AC on."
The rest of the county was on the same page, electricity meters show.
PPL customers used more electricity Tuesday than on any day of the past two years — a 15 percent increase from last week's peak day, officials said.
The company expects customers to keep it cranked up Wednesday.
"With each successive day in a heat wave, demand for electric use rises," spokesman Michael Wood said. "The demand for electricity due to cooling applications — AC, refrigerators, freezers — really spikes."
Everyone, including local officials, is keeping the heat in mind.
"The high heat and humidity is especially hard on senior citizens," Randall Gockley, county emergency management coordinator said. "People need to make sure that they are receiving adequate hydration."
The heat wave has already been blamed for the death of a 92-year-old Philadelphia woman, the Associated Press reported.
Nine Lancaster County senior centers will be acting as "cooling centers" through Friday. For a center nearby, call the county Office of Aging at 299-7979.
Decreased temperatures Thursday will hardly bring much relief; highs are still expected to be around 95.
"The downward trend will continue" from there, Pigott said, with a high of 90 for Friday before a drop into the mid-80s on Saturday.
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