Tosa came through extreme heat comparatively well

Wauwatosa fared well during the recent dangerously hot multiday stretch.

"People are being really smart about this," Assistant Fire Chief James Case said. "They're staying hydrated and staying indoors with air conditioning when possible."

The Fire Department hasn't seen a spike in heat-related illnesses, he said.

Department leaders also watched out for their own crews, cutting down on "non-essential activities" like fire inspections that could wear them out.

If a fire were to break out in these dry conditions, assistance from other communities would be called in early, Case said.

Two small grass fires broke out Thursday in the area of Highway 45 and Burleigh Street. The fires were likely ignited by sparks from a We Energies substation that was trying to power back up after an outage.

There was an equipment failure at the substation, but it hasn't been determined if it was heat-related, said We Energies spokeswoman Cathy Schulze.

About 3,700 customers lost power for up to three hours just after noon Thursday. Traffic signals were out along North Avenue around 92nd Street.

There's been a higher-than-usual demand on We Energies' system, but it's been holding out in the conditions, Schulze said.

State roadways haven't done as well. Seventeen spots saw buckling - including Highway 100 and Greenfield Avenue - on Thursday.

"We're expecting more today," said Don Miller, Wisconsin Department of Transportation spokesman, on Friday.

To protect highway crews as they repair buckled pavement, motorists should shift lanes or slow down as required by the state's Move Over Law.