News 12 at 11 o'clock, July 29, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- When it hasn't been stormy, it's been blazing hot, and the heat index has been as high as 110, prompting heat advisories.

Richmond County Coroner Grover Tuten says the heat is playing a role in too many deaths, and the ones falling victim are elderly without air conditioning in their homes.

The sun continues to shine on Augusta. Thermometers continue to post triple digits, and the Salvation Army has only a few small fans left.

"We got calls as late as 4:30 this afternoon for fans, and the ones that we have left are the little 6-inch dorm fans," said Ingrid Tutt of the Salvation Army.

Tutt said the small fans just don't do the job, especially when the county's coroner, Grover Tuten, is calling this one of the deadliest summer's in terms of heat-related deaths he's ever worked in his long career.

"I've seen hot summers before," Tuten said. "However, I haven't seen as many deaths as I have to the heat as I have this year."

So far this summer, Tuten says he suspects eight people have died from the heat. Two of them have come this month.

"The cases that I see are usually people who don't have air conditioning," he said. "Either it broke and they can't get it fixed or they can't afford air conditioning."

The most recent happened earlier this week on Larkspur Drive in Augusta, where the coroner says they found a 65-year-old man dead in his home. When they took the temperature inside, it was 118 degrees.

"The rest of the rooms were measuring 108 degrees," Tuten said. "And the dog had actually died an hour before the gentleman had fell out from the heat."

In these temperatures, Tuten says it's vital for relatives and neighbors to check up on the elderly.

"Make a phone call, go by once a day, make a phone call," he said. "It's a lot better to make a phone call than it is to get a phone call from me the next morning telling you that 'Hey, the ultimate has happened.'"

The heat being so hot and these deaths is one reason why Tutt says donating a fan can be a lifesaver this summer.

"It's extremely important to me that we take care of those folks who can't take care of themselves," she said.

Tuten said many of the elderly are too afraid to open their windows to let air in because of crime, which is why checking on them or getting cool air in their homes is so important.

Tutt said in order to get more fans, they will be having a fan drive soon.