The Malheur County Fair began at 2 p.m. on Tuesday with temperatures in the mid-90s. As the fair gates opened, patchy clouds spared a few rain drops, which quickly evaporated.
The clouds and smoke in the air from fires in the surrounding area shaded the sun and gave some reprieve to fair-goers. Many people purchased ice cream or shaved ice to better handle the heat.
Fair events started with a few youth education opportunities.
Kids learned about the importance of soil health from Natural Resource Conservation Service soil scientist Shanna Bernal. Hands-on demonstrations of how water percolates through different types of soil gave kids a sense of how rain is absorbed in a variety of climates.
Rebecca Fry, fire engine captain with the Vale District Bureau of Land Management, showed kids the inside of her truck along with its other fire-fighting capabilities.
The Ontario Fire Department set up a fire safety demonstration house to give kids information about how to reach if they find themselves in a burning structure.
