FORT WORTH, Texas — It's Texas. It's August. So, yes, it's hot.
But life must go on. So, precautions are the order of the day. It's the order of a very hot day for anyone working outside.
One hot corner since last Friday has been the intersection of South University and Park Hill Drive in Fort Worth, where a 24-inch water main ruptured.
Tests on the cast iron pipe are still underway to determine if the expansion and retraction of the soil during the high heat might have been a factor in the failure.
Crews from the Fort Worth Water Department have been working around the clock since Friday to repair the line. They're also working to repair a second rupture on a line beneath it and to tear up and re-pave the entire intersection.
The work, regardless of the weather, will likely last until the end of the week.
For workers like Carlos Garcia, lots of water and a handful of jokes help him get through the sweltering days.
"Yeah, big guys sweat the most out here," the admittedly heavyset water department crew leader joked. "Honestly, this weight don't help."
But in all seriousness, precautions are being taken.
Water Department crews make sure they do have plenty of Gatorade and drinking water on hand. They have portable shade and awnings available when tree shade is not near a job site. They also carry misting fans to give workers a brief respite from the heat.
"We tell our guys drink plenty of water at night," said Fort Worth Water Department supervisor Billy Coffelt. "Make sure you get that in your system so you're not behind in the morning. Because once you start sweating it's too late to catch up a lot of times."
That's what MedStar is responding to on a regular basis. By midday Monday, the ambulance service had already responded to three heat-related calls, cases given upgraded priority when the heat index rises above 105.
"Man I don't care. Over 95 degrees it's hot. That's just all there is to it. You just keep getting hotter," said Craig Keehn, of Scott Tucker Construction, as he worked with his crew at a home remodeling project in Fort Worth.
Working with a crew spreading mortar and laying bricks in the midday sun, Keehn also offered some perspective. He's a longtime Texan. He's used to this. And he's also a Marine veteran.
He and his buddies overseas have been through worse.
"Stop complaining," Keehn said. "Because we've got soldiers over there that are sleeping in 125 degrees at night."
So be thankful. But still, be careful. This is enough heat to kill.