On the hottest day so far this summer in Fresno, with temperatures reaching 110 degrees Fahrenheit, an elderly man sat against the wall of a gas station, struggling to breathe.
He is homeless.
Rick Adams, the 65-year-old man who once owned a home in Clovis but has lived on the streets of North Fresno for the past 10 years, is used to people ignoring him and walking right past him.
The one thing Adams cared about most that day was finding some shade.
“I’m going to die here one day,” he said during an interview with The Fresno Bee.
The way homeless people cope with the extreme heat can make the difference between life and death.
Adams doesn’t think the heat will necessarily kill him.
He said surviving the cold or the occasional downpour in Fresno is just as challenging for someone in his predicament.
But being homeless and the blazing heat only make life harder for Adams, he says.
“Try to stay low when it’s this hot, don’t get up too much,” Adams said. “Don’t move around too much.”
Staying hydrated is also important, and for people like Adams, access to drinking water can sometimes be difficult.
Some weather-related illnesses that people, especially the elderly and homeless, may experience include heat stroke, dizziness and heat exhaustion.
In the city of Fresno, three cooling centers are open (from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) when the expected high temperature is 40°C or higher:
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Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo
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Maxie L. Parks Community Center, 1802 E. California
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Mosqueda Community Center, 4670 E. Butler
But for Adams, who prefers to stay in North Fresno, those services are too far away, he says
Not that Adams is complaining.
Adams doesn’t like to ask for food or money, said employees at the Bad Buds gas station at the corner of Cedar and Herndon avenues, where he often hangs out.
“He’s proud,” said one worker. “He doesn’t like to ask for help. Now he accepts money or food if people give it to him. But he doesn’t ask for it.
“It’s like he’s almost ashamed.”
Adams said it’s too dangerous to go elsewhere, such as downtown Fresno, where homeless services are more accessible.
“I like being by myself,” Adams said of life on the streets. “I had some friends. But they robbed me.”
While it’s not entirely clear how or why Adams became homeless, he says he used to be a mechanic, working on large trucks.
He said he retired and then became homeless about a year after his wife died. He has lost contact with other family members.
Adams said he never used or sold drugs.
It is unclear whether Adams suffers from a mental illness.
Sometimes he mumbles something when he talks, but when asked questions he answers them politely.
Employees at the gas station Adams frequents said he’s never been a problem.
They are concerned about how he will handle the heat.
A few customers also showed concern for the old man.
Within five minutes, a younger woman bought Adams a bottle of water, spoke to him briefly, and then wished him luck.
Then a middle-aged woman came out of the gas station and put down another large bottle of water.
“I feel so sorry for him,” the woman said. “I don’t know how they deal with this heat. It’s so hot.”
Adams smiled briefly and thanked both ladies.
“Very generous of them,” Adams said.
Then the old man took a deep breath, took a sip of water, and pulled out a ham and cheese sandwich that had been in a plastic container. Then he began to eat.
It might be the highlight of his day. Certainly the most relaxing part.
Adams usually doesn’t stay at a gas station or in one particular location all day.
He said he enjoys riding his bike to different places in North Fresno.
“Where the law allows me to go,” he said.
But because it’s so hot, Adams finds it’s best to stay in the shade as long as possible until dark.
He then went on to say that he wanders around for an average of 2 to 3 hours a night before going to sleep.
“Hot or cold,” Adams said, “just try to figure out how to get through each day.
“But man, I don’t like how hot it is.”
