Missoulians rush hardware stores during heat wave

MISSOULA, Mont. -

Temperatures have been more than warm. People are trying to keep cool however they can, either with fans, air conditioning or swimming. One hardware store in Missoula and a heating and cooling company are seeing sales take off with the latest heat spike.

These 90-degree days are sending people to search for anything to keep them cool.

A heating and cooling service cannot believe the volume of calls coming in.

"It's been pretty busy; we're probably taking 10-12 calls a day for air conditioners that need repair, lot of them need to be replaced," said Bill Lamb, an employee at Garden City Plumbing & Heating.

Lamb isn't the only one feeling the pressure. A hardware store in Missoula says people have been rushing in to get everything from air conditioners to water tubes.

"The shelves that once were stocked full are now starting to dwindle, quickly. We're now trying to restock as fast as we can. So obviously, we've had a great uptake in sales," explained Nicholas Hunter, the floor manager at Missoula Ace Hardware.

Missoula's average temperature on this day is 84 degress, and we reached around 93 degrees, which is almost a 10-degree difference.

"Tend to get really busy this time of year, but this year, it just kind of hit us all at once," said Lamb.

Lamb said the air conditioning service is busier this year compared to last, and he credits the hot weather.

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Missoulians rush hardware stores during heat wave