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How some Spokane employees beat the heat while indoors

With 100-degree temperatures approaching, some employees are almost experts when it comes to beating the heat.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Triple-digit weather is on its way this week and with the sun blazing down, there are jobs that deal with the heat from their work environment on top of mother nature.

Being inside of a building doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an escape from the heat. Some jobs flourish in those elements, because that’s how their business functions.

“If you look at the oven, all the heat comes out in one area,” explained Dominic Welch, who's worked with Veraci Pizza for the last two years. "When you’re cooking, it’s nice to stand on each side of the oven so you’re not absorbing all of the heat. “

Veraci in Kendall Yards is a true example of working with fire.

They’re known for brick oven style pizza, which means even in the summer, their job is to endure the heat. On a regular day, the oven pushes out nearly 160 pizzas and uses around 4 buckets of wood along with coal to keep the fire going.

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“We have a huge walk-in cooler back there. Just take five minutes to walk in there and cool off. That's the best way to do it,” Welch said.

Finding spots to cool off is important with this heat and staying hydrated is vital. Other businesses, like Beacon Cleaners, take care of clothes from all around the city.

Using heat and steam is important for them to get their products refreshed.

On summer days like this, temperatures can reach the high 80s inside of the building. To combat that, they use thousand-pound AC units and have multiple fans across the cleaners.

The shop says they also use a device in the roof that helps release warm air.

While the summer days may get pretty hot, there are some benefits of working with heat later in the year.

"Winter is the best because you’re never cold,” Welch said.

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