City of Fresno and Fresno Unified offering ways to beat the heat

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With temperatures on the rise, and little relief in sight, the City of Fresno is helping families do what they can to beat the heat.

City of Fresno Spokesman Mark Standriff said, "For us, we are really looking forward to what kind of services can we provide for those folks that do not have someplace they can go that's air-conditioned or a pool they can automatically cool off in."

The Central Valley's most recent heatwave reached 14 straight days above triple digits Thursday.

When the temperatures hit 105 degrees or higher in Fresno, residents can find some relief at a number of cooling centers across the city for free.

The Ted C. Wills, Frank H. Ball, Mosqueda, and Pinedale community centers will all be open from noon until 8 pm on those extremely hot days, as measured by the National Weather Service.

"On top of that, our pools are always open. We have three pools within the City of Fresno," said Standriff. He added that residents can also use many, "Fresno Unified pools that we use as part our Blue Space program. Swimming is free for most of those pools."

The summer sizzle along with poor air quality has disrupted some outdoor activities for Fresno Unified as of late.

Athletic Manager Brett Mar said, "Most of our practices are early in the morning or late in the evening."

Administrators constantly have a close eye on the heat index and unhealthy conditions this week forced the school district to send out a heat advisory Wednesday and Thursday.

"Some of our teams in the evening that are practicing, they are practicing indoors in the gym, doing their running in the gym," said Mar. "So there are other alternatives."

Meanwhile, the City of Fresno has you covered if you're having trouble finding a ride to a cooling center.

"There is transportation by FAX bus service, absolutely free, to and from the cooling centers when we make the announcement that the cooling centers are open," said Standriff.

Check the city's website or social media pages for official announcements on cooling center openings.