EL CAJON, Calif. — With the heat on, the last place you want to be is outdoor working in it. Pavers with Eagle Paving didn't have that option as they have to get a school tennis court paved by the end of the week, and it is all taking place during a heat wave.
"There's no way around it, there's no way around the sun,” said Jorge Frias, Eagle Paving supervisor and production manager.
The challenges of keeping cool rise for those who have to work outside in hot weather.
"We try to pave super early in the morning so that we can get the best of the cool part of the day,” said Frias.
Working from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Frias had a crew of 14 re-doing the tennis courts for El Cajon Valley High School and not looking forward to laying down the 300-degree asphalt.
"Once the hot asphalt starts laying that's when it really starts to get hot,” Frias said.
So how do outdoor workers maintain while in a heatwave?
"Hydration, a lot of water - a lot of water, and we take breaks,” Frias said.
Those headed outdoors were advised to take plenty of water when hiking a trail like Iron Mountain in Poway. It was close to 90 degrees by early Tuesday afternoon without a hiker in sight. Some were opting to cool off in their car, and it even got tough for a bird to find shade. There was a sign posted reading, "Warning Heat Kills or Injures Children or Pets."
In Encinitas, Rancho Coastal Humane Society spokesman John VanZante sat inside a hot car to prove the dangers of leaving pets locked inside a car in the heat.
"I got four windows here, all cracked open and the temperature is still rising. It is hot enough, where it can kill a person or a pet in a car,” VanZante said.
VanZante said if a dog's body temperature gets above 103° it can suffer from heat exhaustion and start panting. He has done this hot car demonstration every summer since 2000. With the windows rolled up, the degrees shot up to 144.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego Humane Society offers pet safety tips for heat wave