It’s oinkin’ hot, people

Elia Powers

Pigs can get sunburned too.

That’s why docents at the Orange County Fair kept Pork Chop, an

18-month-old sow, in the shade Friday at Centennial Farm.

Thursday morning, she gave birth to 10 piglets, who have spent

most of their young lives coping with the heat.

Fair employee Wes Barrett did his part to help, intermittently

pouring bottled water near Pork Chop’s mouth.

“We’re trying to keep her hydrated,” said Barrett, carefully

avoiding the pack of piglets. “She’s a bit tired today.”

Many of the animals spent hours lounging, struggling to stay

comfortable. Lilly, a 17-year-old dairy cow stood beneath an awning.

Baby calves nearby stayed off their feet.

Cynthia Critchley, assistant program coordinator for Centennial

Farm, said the key is keeping a close eye on the animals. That’s

particularly true for the pigs, she said. They are most sensitive to

the sun and can turn a darker shade of pink if overexposed.

“We make sure all the animals are attended to and that they all

have shady areas in their pens,” she said.

On another 80-degree-plus day at the fair, where there were

occasional gusts of wind, humans gravitated toward shade and

air-conditioned areas as well.

Karan Lang and Patty Faustner came prepared. They wore floppy hats

and short-sleeve shirts, and took turns spraying each other with a

water sprayer.

It’s hardly the first time Lang has experienced these type of

conditions in Costa Mesa. She said she has come to every day of the

fair for the last eight years, which has taught her to dress for warm

weather.

Fair spokeswoman Sabrina Sakaguchi said finding covered areas and

keeping hydrated are the two best ways to avoid a health risk. She

said there have been isolated incidents of heat-related health

issues, including a fairgoer who fainted.

Rick Graves -- who heads Medical & Safety Management, the company

charged with first aid issues -- said eating properly is also a

factor.

“The word has gotten out,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate that we

haven’t seen too many heat problems. It’s mostly been blisters.”

Krista Sutera, a 16-year-old Long Beach resident and fair

employee, is doing her part in keeping people cool. She sat

underneath a large, fake, green leaf and sprayed children who entered

the Kids Park maze.

“It’s still pretty hot under here,” Sutera said.

Kids Park assistant coordinator Brandy Finch said there was no

official hydration or first aid policy in her department. She passed

out cups of water and shaved ice drinks to her employees and gave

them long breaks between shifts so they could sit inside the

air-conditioned trailer.

The woman operating Maureen W. Puppet had no such luxury. She

walked around the fairgrounds inside a green box that hid her face.

“When people look hot, they look at her inside this thing and they

say, ‘It could be worse,’” the woman said.

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

[email protected].