A record-setting heat wave brought long days, hot nights and short tempers.

As temperatures shattered record highs in the Pacific Northwest last week, Sumner and Bonney Lake residents did all they could to survive the summer blitz.

On July 29, temperatures reached more than 100 degrees as residents managed to find relief from the heat. An excessive-heat warning for the area remained in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday.

According to weather.com, Bonney Lake and Sumner reported 104 degrees. The National Weather Service in Seattle recorded 103 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The last time temperatures were hotter than 90 degrees for five consecutive days was 1981.

The weather drove hundreds of people of all ages to area lakes, especially Lake Tapps. As mid-morning temperatures soared into the 90s, the shore became crowded with swimmers and boaters.

Some took advantage of the sunshine and found time to tan.

At Tunes@Tapps in Allan Yorke Park, Bonney Lake city employees made a temporary water mister. During the concert, children ran and danced around the mister to gain relief from the afternoon 90-degree heat.

The Bonney Lake and Sumner branches of the Pierce County libraries were among the locations seeing an increase in patrons passing through the doors. They were designated by the county’s Emergency Management Department as cooling centers for residents to temporarily escape the blistering heat.

Sumner Branch Supervisor Harlan Zinck and Bonney Lake’s Gemma Tate said more people came in and stayed longer, either browsing the Internet at the computer terminals or just curling up and reading a book.

Zinck mentioned a few people who traditionally work from home set up a temporary office in the library. One woman even asked if she could come in to take a nap.

“As long as you don’t snore too loud,” Zinck said, laughing slightly.

The Sumner Senior Center stayed open longer to allow more people a chance to cool down.

Linda Clerget, senior service program coordinator, said the building stayed open until 9 p.m. as long as people needed a place to stay cool.

Newlyweds Glen and Helen Warrick at the center agreed, saying they were happy to see the community reaching out to help people during the heat wave.

Senior Service Assistant Staci Guirsch said more people than normal came to the Bonney Lake Senior Center during the heat wave.

Many people without air conditioned homes flocked to local hardware stores and retail outlets looking for any sort of cooling devices to provide salvation from the hot sun.

The Bonney Lake Home Depot and Lowe’s hardware stores quickly sold out of air conditioning and cooling units, unable to keep up with the high demand.

Both stores were working to get more in stock as soon as possible, but associates didn’t expect shipments soon.

East Pierce Fire and Rescue crews weren’t having it any easier. Batalion Chief Jay Adams said the station receives an average of 20 emergency calls per day. The number of calls has doubled in recent weeks due to the high temperatures.

He explained the department was getting more non-medical related calls for over-heated cars and brush fires as the volume of traffic on the roadways increased. Power failures are also common as sagging electrical cables catch on the trees below, he said.

As the summer heat continues, Adams urges all citizens to keep hydrated and mindful of neighbors who are elderly or have pre-existing medical conditions.

On Thursday, residents began to feel relief from the heat as night-time temperatures dropped from the mid-70s to 60 degrees.

The next day temperatures dropped into the low 80s and the noontime crowd at Lake Tapps was less than 50, with a few boats on the water.