South Bay temperatures hit triple digits 2nd day in a row

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - The South Bay is seeing some of the highest temperatures, with the mercury reaching triple digits for a second consecutive day.

Armed with cases of water, homeless advocate Scott Wagers visited 10 San Jose homeless encampments, to bring relief and hope.

“They say the deadliest weather is heat,” said Wagers.

He and a volunteer are making the rounds, in Saint James Park and beyond, to ensure those most vulnerable stay hydrated as the temperature rises..

“These are very vulnerable people. They need water. We take it to them frequently,” he said.

Temperatures above 97 degrees – and actually reaching triple digits – prompted the City of San Jose to open all 11 of its cooling centers. Five of those centers will keep the doors open until 9 p.m. Tuesday.

“What we hope to accomplish is to provide a safe place for all of our residents to come and beat the heat. A place where they can come and have some entertainment. They can come and learn about our programming and services. They have access to WiFi. And we will have some games they can play. But the point is to stay cool, and out of the heat, and safe,” said San Jose Dept. of Parks & Recreation spokeswoman Carolina Camarena.

The Valley Transportation Authority is offering free rides Tuesday to anyone trying to get to a cooling center, or simply out of the heat. The freebie is good on all light rail and bus routes.

In the East San Jose Foothills, a three-alarm house fire in sweltering temperatures led one San Jose firefighter to suffer the effects of heat exhaustion. Sources say the first responder became weakened after hauling fire hose lines up a steep embankment so that water could be applied directly to the flames.

In Downtown San Jose, access to luxury is open to the public during the hot days of summer. The Fairmont Hotel announced the sale of pool passes to its famed rooftop pool, for $30 per person.

“It’s like a barbeque out here. But definitely, we actually have seen quite a few people purchase the day passes,” said hotel Food & Beverage Director Dhruv Khanna.

It could be a sound investment, as temperatures soar even before it’s officially summer.