Roseville suffers 5 heat-related deaths in last 3 days

ROSEVILLE, Mich. – The city of Roseville has suffered five heat-related deaths since Wednesday, a reminder of how important it is to utilize resources available to help remain cool during this stretch of hot weather.

Roseville Fire Chief Mike Holland confirmed Friday afternoon that five residents died during the last three days from heart attacks or difficulty breathing, all directly related to stress from the temperatures that have soared into the high 80s and low 90s. The plus-90-degree weather is expected to continue into at least Monday.

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Holland couldn’t provide any more details on the victims, but he expressed concern that high temperatures increase the likelihood of health concerns, especially for those with existing medical problems.

"We’re terribly concerned about that right now," Holland said. "We’ve brought in extra staffing and we’ll have three ambulances operational and ready to go until at least Monday."

Holland added the run volume has been normal for his firefighters this week, but some of the calls have been more serious.

"Some people may be trying to save money on air conditioning, but this is absolutely the time when people need to use it," he said.

Holland reminded residents that if they don’t have air conditioning, the city has three cooling centers available: The Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team (MCREST) on Erin Street, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; The Roseville-Eastpointe Recreation Authority Center on Sycamore Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; and the Roseville Public Library on Gratiot, which is part of the City Hall complex.

He also reminded residents to stay out of the sun if possible and to stay hydrated even if they don't feel thirsty.