What are people doing in Middleboro and Lakeville to beat the heat? 

Nasir Rusconi had the perfect answer. “We’re eating ice cream,” he said through a chocolate-stained grin, as he sat on a bench at Tom and Jimmy’s ice cream stand in Middleboro.  

To deal with the scorching temperatures that Massachusetts has seen over the last few days, many Middleboro and Lakeville residents had a similar plan: eat ice cream, swim, turn on the sprinklers, head for the beaches and the water parks, or blast the air conditioning. Rinse, repeat. 

Nasir’s aunt, Erica Rusconi, said over the next few days, “it’s either the beach, the pool, ice cream, water parks. Anything to do with water, we’re there.” 

The Middleboro Fire Department provided the perfect opportunity for residents to get soaked. As temperatures soared over 95 degrees during the peak of the afternoon heat on Thursday, firefighters took action.  

The fire department stationed trucks next to the basketball courts at Peirce Playground and allowed residents to cool off under a waterfall produced by fire truck sprinklers. 

“Everyone had a blast,” said Fire Chief Owen Thompson, who noted that residents especially loved refreshing themselves in such a unique way, by playing under a fire truck sprinkler system. “Most people don’t have the opportunity to do that,” he said. 

For Middleboro siblings John and Brooke Logan, the heat meant it was time to take out the jet skis. Cruising on the jet ski was part of their plan to beat the heat, said John Logan, as he loaded two jet skis in the water off the Long Pond boat ramp. “You’re still in the sun, but it’s a lot cooler in the wind and the water.”

His sister Brooke said in addition to getting out on the jet ski, a stopover at Dairy Queen was the perfect antidote to the high temps. 

Long Pond was also the perfect refuge for German shepherd Vera Jackson, who swam alongside owners Emily and Tim Jackson for three hours as they took their motor boat out for a spin.

The Jacksons live in Fairhaven and started taking their dog out on the water last year. “We found out she loves the boat, so now it’s her thing,” said Emily Jackson.