Parisian Firefighters Receive Ice Donations Amidst Historic Heatwave

PARIS — A historic heat wave has forced the city of Paris to turn toward big business to provide its firefighters with the resources they need.

Officials from center-left Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire's cabinet have been reaching out to large-scale food retailers to mobilize stocks over fears that the Parisian pompiers, who in France are often the first responders in case of emergencies, would run out of ice cubes needed to cool down victims of heat stroke.

The plea was confirmed by two industry professionals, granted anonymity to speak freely.

Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour, one of the main French supermarket chains, confirmed in a LinkedIn post that his company had donated four tons of ice to the city's firefighters.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were the hottest days on record in French history and the extreme heat is expected to continue until Sunday. Temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius have been reported in the densely populated French capital.

In a bid to ease pressure on the capital's hospitals during the heat wave, authorities are restricting public drinking in Paris, with bans on takeaway alcohol sales going into effect from 6 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, and again during the same hours from Saturday to Sunday, according to local officials. Licensed bars and restaurants are exempt from the restrictions.

Medical authorities recommend avoiding alcohol during severe heat because it worsens dehydration and interferes with the body’s ability to regulate temperature — raising the risk of heatstroke.

On Thursday, the Paris mayor said the heat wave had led to an uptick in mortality rates, but did not provide figures. French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said 25 cardiac arrests had been recorded in Paris over 24 hours, against an average of less than 10 on a normal day.

Deaths from drowning — as people seek to cool down in rivers, lakes and the sea — has increased to 55, according to local authorities.