DOWNTOWN DETROIT (WXYZ) — Monday, June 23, is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far in metro Detroit. That means you'll need to keep water on hand as you head to the Ford Fireworks tonight.
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The summer tradition will be lighting up the night sky over the Detroit River later tonight.
Related: Your Monday weather forecast
The Ford Fireworks is a summer staple for families across southeast Michigan, and even with this heat, the fun isn't stopping.
According to the city of Detroit, the best places to view the fireworks will be Hart Plaza, Belle Isle, and Spirit Plaza.
"I’m very excited to see the show. I took the day off work for this," said Michelle Hannah who was the first in line at Hart Plaza Monday.
Hannah says she's been coming down to watch the fireworks for 30 years with her family and the heat wasn't going to discourage her from showing up this year. She packed a cooler full of fruit, vegetables, water and more.
"I am a die hard fan of the fireworks and I'm born and raised here. We’ve all seen 90 degree days. We’ve all seen 100 degree days. It’s just about your tolerance," said Hannah.
Elton Potts and his family drove in from Toldeo with a cooler full of ice cold water and ice and umbrellas for cover from the sun.
"It’s hot already and I’ll just put it this way. We have to move to the other side, in the sun, but we have umbrellas and a lot of water so we’ll make do. It’s a small sacrifice for what you get," said Potts.
Potts says he's only missed one Detroit Fireworks show in 30 years.
"There’s no better view point. I’ve tried in the Renaissance center, Chene park, Belle Isle, a couple different other places around here and this is the spot," said Potts. "My wife plans for this for like two weeks so it’s like last night you might as well thought it was Christmas."
Hundreds lined up at Belle Isle starting at 5 a.m. in search of the perfect viewing spot Monday.
"I’m just most excited to see the fireworks be on the beach the water at night," said Jarimiah McGee as he sat with his family waiting to get into the park.
It’s sure to be a fantastic night filled with lots of 'oohs and ahhs'. but attendees won’t just have to deal with large crowds. They’ll also have to deal with stifling heat and this heat wave the last few days. The car dashboard said 82 degrees already before 6 a.m.
As for the Ford fireworks show, it's all happening here at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. The fireworks show starts around 10 p.m. tonight. Three barges sitting in the Detroit river will shoot off between 10,000 and 11,000 fireworks, and it's sure to be an amazing 24-minute display.
We reached out to the Mayor's Office about any extra precautions they may be taking to help people battle the heat, and they provided us with the statement below:
"Realistically, I don’t think there’s anything the city is able to do to keep large crowds of people cool outdoors if they choose to wait for hours in this type of heat," said John Roach with the city of Detroit. "We recommend people concerned with the heat use good judgment, limit their time outside, and come down later in the afternoon when the sun and heat start to subside. People who still decide to come down early should stay hydrated and consider bringing an umbrella to protect them from direct sun until it goes down."
It'll be all hands on deck for people attending tonight's fireworks show to stay cool while they're enjoying the festivities.
The Detroit Fire Department and EMS say they will have misting fans, cooling stations and plenty of water and ice accessible. They say their biggest concerns are heat related illness and exhaustion.
"People can get in more trouble in the heat and we see this and we were starting to see this over the weekend because the temperature was going up and they can get into what we call heat stroke or heat syncope which is fainting from the heat," said DFD's Medical Director Dr. Robert Dunne.
Dr. Dunne warns spectators to beware of people who appear to be dizzy, disoriented or pass out as they are likely experiencing a heat emergency and need immediate cooling. Medical staff will be on standby throughout downtown Detroit Monday.
