Homeless in the heat. How one 65-year-old Fresno man holds up in scorching temperatures

On the hottest day in Fresno so far this summer, with temperatures soaring to 110 degrees, an elderly man slouched up against a gas station wall and struggled to breathe.

He is homeless.

Rick Adams, the 65-year-old who once had a house in Clovis but lives on the streets in north Fresno for the past 10 years, is used to people ignoring and walking past him.

All Adams mostly cared about that day was getting in the shade.

“One day, I’m going to die out here,” he said during an interview with The Fresno Bee.

How homeless people handle the extreme heat can be the difference between life and death.

Adams doesn’t necessarily think the heat will kill him.

He said surviving the cold weather or the occasional downpour in Fresno is just as challenging for a person in his predicament.

But being homeless amid the brutal heat makes Adams’ life that much more difficult, he said.

“Try to lay low when it’s this hot, don’t get up too much,” Adams said. “Don’t move a lot.”

Staying hydrated also is important, and getting access to drinking water for those like Adams is sometimes tough.

Some weather-related illnesses that people could suffer — especially those elderly and those who are homeless — are heat strokes, dizziness and heat exhaustion.

The City of Fresno has three cooling centers open (noon to 8 p.m.) when the forecast high temperature is 105° or above:

• Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo

• Maxie L. Parks Community Center, 1802 E. California

• Mosqueda Community Center, 4670 E. Butler

But for Adams, who prefers to remain in north Fresno, he said those services are too far away

Not that Adams is complaining.

Adams doesn’t like to ask people for food or money, said employees at Bad Buds gas station located at the corner of Cedar and Herndon avenues, where he often hangs out.

“He’s prideful,” one employee said. “He doesn’t like to ask for help. Now, he’ll accept money or food if people give it to him. But he won’t ask.

“It’s like he’s almost embarrassed.”

Adams said it’s too dangerous going elsewhere like downtown Fresno, where services for the homeless are more accessible.

“I like to be on my own,” Adams said of life on the streets. “I had some friends before. But they robbed me.”

While it wasn’t quite clear how or why Adams became homeless, he said he used to be a mechanic and worked on big trucks.

He said he went on to retire, then became homeless about a year after his wife died. He does not stay in contact with other family members.

Adams added that he’s never done or sold drugs.

It wasn’t clear if Adams suffers some type of mental illness.

He mumbles sometimes when he talks but politely answers questions when asked.

Employees at the gas station where Adams frequently stops by said he’s never been a problem.

They worry about how he’s handling the heat.

A couple of customers showed concern for the old man, too.

Within a 5-minute span, one younger woman bought Adams a bottled water, spoke briefly with him then wished him luck.

Then a middle-aged woman came out of the gas station and dropped off another large bottle of water.

“I feel so bad 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 of the ladies.

“Very generous of them,” Adams said.

Then the old man took a deep breath, then a drink of water before removing a ham and cheese sandwich that had been inside a plastic container, and started to eat.

It’s arguably the highlight of his day. Certainly the most relaxing part.

Adams usually doesn’t stay at the gas station or any one particular place all day.

He said he likes to ride his bike to different spots in north Fresno.

“Wherever the law allows me to go,” he said.

But with the weather so hot, Adams believes it’s best for him to stay in the shade as long as possible until nightfall.

Then he said he’ll wander around before sleeping on average about 2-3 hours a night.

“Hot or cold,” Adams said, “just try to figure out how to get by every day.

“But man, I do not like how hot it is.”