As the Lewiston-Auburn area entered its third consecutive day under an excessive heat warning, some residents stayed indoors, close to their newly installed air conditioning units and safe from the sun’s scorching heat.

For the Twin Cities’ blue-collar labor force, however, “the work’s got to get done” regardless of the sweltering temperatures outside, explained Dakota Tuttle, a construction worker at Lucas Tree Experts.

Tuttle’s crew was trimming back trees on Lewiston’s Central Avenue. 

“It’s like sitting in an oven,” explained Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was replacing pedestrian crossing signals. 

Others described their experience toiling under the sun in more vulgar terms. 

“It’s a pain in the ass,” Tuttle complained. 

Extreme heat is more than simply an annoyance, it can also be risky. 

Mark Cyr of CPM Constructors said he and his crew have suffered from lethargy, headaches and heat exhaustion throughout the heat wave. 

To guard against such threats, construction crews across the state have taken measures to keep their workers safe in extreme weather.

“The biggest thing is don’t overwork the crew. Take it nice and easy,” Cyr said. “If the job doesn’t get done today, it’ll get done tomorrow.”

Another important step in preventing heat-related illnesses among construction workers is maintaining adequate hydration. “They cannot drink enough water,” Joe Dumais, a supervisor at Lucas Tree Experts, said. 

“We make sure everyone has plenty of water,” Dumais said. “As a supervisor, I keep an eye on them and I’ve always got a lot of ice water on the truck … they keep an eye on each other (as well).” 

Some workers have gotten used to the extreme seasonal heat that comes with the job. 

“I’m out here all the time … I’ve gotten used to it slowly, but surely,” Tuttle said. 

For others, the heat is a shock. 

“I’m from Presque Isle, so working in southern Maine is a change for me,” Cyr explained. “We don’t get a lot of heat like this up there.” 

According to Sarah Jamison, senior service hydrologist at the National Weather Service’s Gray/Portland office, this week’s heat wave was exceptional. 

“Mild heat waves typically occur every summer or every other summer in Maine. What sets this one apart is the extreme nature of the heat index. We’re looking at heat indexes over 100 degrees … We also didn’t really have any nighttime relief with this heat wave,” she said. 

Fortunately for Lewiston-Auburn’s blue-collar workers, the heat wave will come to an end Friday. 

“We have a cold front that will be coming through later Thursday afternoon,” Jamison said. “We’re going to have some strong to severe thunderstorms with it. Behind that front, we’re looking at some cooler conditions moving in.

“So for Friday, we’re looking at a high in the mid- to upper-70s. In fact, we’re looking at scattered showers and thunderstorms going into the weekend and probably next week with temperatures generally mild and in the 70s for the next five days,” she predicted. 

Throughout the Twin Cities, construction workers expressed relief at the news. 

According to Cyr, however, they’re ready to face the next round of extreme weather that comes their way. 

“You deal with it,” he said. “You go on. You go home early and you live to fight another day.” 

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