Last week's sweltering heat is believed to be the cause of the deaths of two Sequoyah County men.

Joe Watkins, Pafford Emergency Medical Services (EMS) chief, said Tuesday that since the extreme heat advisory, Pafford EMS saw one death in the Roland/Muldrow area and one in the Gore area last week.

In the Roland/Muldrow area, one man died after heat was believed to have made worse a heart condition from which the man suffered. The man was taken to an Arkansas hospital, where he died, Watkins said.

Another man who reportedly succumbed to the heat was a 72-year-old Gore area resident who was found dead in a travel trailer without air conditioning. He was reportedly found by neighbors, who called for help.

Kevin Rowland, chief investigator for the state medical examiner's office in Oklahoma City, said more tests are being done to confirm that heat was the cause of the Gore area man's death. He said it could be weeks before the results of those tests are ready.

"We have not confirmed he died from heat," Rowland said. He said since the start of the year eight people in the state have died from the heat or heat-related problems. Since the Roland man died in Arkansas, Rowland did not have any information about him.

As temperatures start to climb again after a brief weekend cooling off, officials urge residents to heed warnings about the heat.

Watkins said Pafford EMS advises that children, the elderly and those with medical conditions especially stay out of the heat and stay hydrated. He added that people should check on elderly friends without air conditioning.

Linda Hattaway, Sequoyah County Health Department director, reminds people not to go out in the heat of the day. When people are out in the heat, they should wear light-colored clothing that doesn't prevent sweating, wear sunscreen, and drink plenty of liquids, which does not include alcohol, high-caffeine or high-calorie drinks because those drinks don't quench a person's thirst as effectively as water. She noted that people should not bundle up babies since they can't regulate their body temperatures.

Hattaway urges people with chronic health problems or diseases who don't have air conditioning in their home to find some place to stay that is air conditioned, such as local libraries. She also asked people to check on neighbors and the elderly who do not have air conditioning.

Some of the signs that a person may be suffering from a heat stroke or heat-related emergency include not sweating, nausea, headache, and vomiting, Hattaway said. She said people who know they have been out in the heat and are suffering from any of those symptoms should seek medical care immediately.