Jul. 15--Extreme heat has been blamed for the deaths of at least four Central Valley residents last week, including a 72-year-old Yolo County man.
The Capay resident died Wednesday from environmental hyperthermia -- his home was too hot -- after his air conditioner stopped working two days earlier, the Yolo County Coroner's Office said.
An air-conditioning unit was scheduled to be installed the day he died, officials said.
Also Wednesday, a 42-year-old farmworker died near Delano from heat exposure, officials said. In addition, a 91-year-old Modesto woman died of heat stroke after the air conditioning in her mobile home went out.
The next day, heat exhaustion was a contributing factor in the death of a 71-year-old Turlock man who had heart disease.
The deaths confirmed county health officials' worst fears: that prolonged heat puts the elderly especially at risk.
During an 11-day heat wave in 2006, more than 130 people died, including 13 in Sacramento County.
Afterward, state and county agencies created emergency plans to prevent a recurrence. Last week's triple-digit temperatures -- combined with smoky air from more than 300 fires in the state -- triggered those new plans.
"We're going out and getting in front of this, as opposed to what happened in 2006," said Dr. Glennah Trochet, Sacramento County's public health officer.
The plans emphasize better cooperation among agencies, and intense public outreach.
In Sacramento County, after forecasts called for consecutive days of triple-digit heat, health officials posted schedules of cooling centers, and began monitoring emergency room visits.
Adult Services workers monitored high-risk clients and helped them obtain cooling equipment, Trochet said. The county's meals-on-wheels workers also checked on clients.
Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties invoked similar strategies.
"My fear with the elderly is that they don't like to get assistance unless they need it and sometimes they don't know they need it," said Doug Nowka, El Dorado County human services chief.
El Dorado County designated five libraries as cooling centers.
El Dorado's outreach program appeared to be the most ambitious in the region. Starting last Monday, volunteers went door-to-door in higher risk areas with a large proportion of seniors and those with a low number of air conditioners.
The health department contacted the largest heating and air-conditioning companies and gave them cooling center information to distribute.
Last week's heat prompted a statewide Phase 2 alert, where state agencies touch base with local governments.
A Stage 3 alert -- when human and animal mortality levels are high -- is classified as a heat emergency. At that point the state would open up cooling centers and send volunteers where needed.
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