Southland Still Sweltering Under Record Heat

They came loaded with water bottles, sunshades, mist fans, ice buckets and minimal clothing, but it seemed nothing was quite enough to provide relief from the scorching heat that greeted fans who assembled at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday to watch Purdue meet USC in a nationally televised football game.

The heat radiating from the field was estimated by some officials to have reached 120 degrees, and it was enough to keep hundreds of fans huddled in the shade of the stadium’s tunnels during much of the game.

Many fans fortified themselves with copious amounts of beer, while a sizable contingent attacked the problem by soaking their T-shirts and tops in cold water, creating a makeshift cooling system in the minimal breezes.

Die-hard USC fan Carol Jamison used a tiny white parasol lifted from her granddaughter’s stroller.

“It’s so miserable,” she said, a pronouncement that reverberated through the stands as often as “Go, USC.” “I’m being sensible, drinking lots of water and going into the shade when I need to. But I’ve never been this hot.”

Neither had the rest of downtown Los Angeles, where the mercury at the Civic Center reached a record 101 degrees, eclipsing the heat peak of 100 in 1967. In Pasadena, another record was set when the temperature soared to 107 degrees, breaking the record of 104 in 1967. In Simi Valley, the temperature reached 106--matching the hottest reading recorded for the day, in 1995.

While most people made it through the game unscathed, dozens were treated for heat-related ailments, overwhelming the stadium’s first aid workers, who were forced to call in several teams of paramedics.

The young as well as the old were stricken, said Anthony Q. Kennedy, operations manager for Med-Event, which provides first aid services for the stadium. People began streaming in for help at kickoff, and by halftime, more than 25 fans had been treated, Kennedy said.

“We’ve had games like this where there has been a lot of heat exposure, but this is as busy as we’ve ever seen it.”

At least three people were taken to area hospitals, but none of the ailments were believed to be life-threatening, said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Randy Yslas, who was coordinating seven paramedic units at the scene.

Just outside the stadium, over a huge stove radiating mega-therms of heat, Nurys Tejada looked as if she were tending to the devil’s caldron. She was actually grilling chicken and sausages for Derrick’s Jerk Chicken, one of the concessionaires. The 40-year-old native of the Dominican Republic claimed not to be at all bothered by the heat.

“I’m drinking a lot of water and taking breaks, but I like the weather,” she said, flipping six-inch lengths of beef and turkey links. “Besides, I work on the grill at the restaurant, so I’m used to heat.”

Louis Marino was not used to it, however. Halfway through the second quarter of the game, the 4-year-old had just about had it, when relief came in the form of Darin Miller, a bleacher mate who sat behind the youngster and poured a cup of ice-cold water on Louis’ red USC cap, causing a squeal of delight.

“That feels a lot better,” he sighed while his mother, Hilda Marino, and sister Melinda, 8, watched with amusement. “More please.”

With that, Miller, a USC fan who had come to the game with friends, upended an icy cup of water down the little boy’s back and squirted Melinda for good measure.

“We don’t know who he is,” said Hilda Marino, pointing to Miller, “But we’re ready to adopt him.”

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USC WINS OPENER

Coach Paul Hackett became the first Trojan coach to win his debut since Jess Hill in 1951. C1