Any lingering doubts summer has arrived melted away under the sweltering temperatures of the last couple of days.

Suntan lotion. Check.

Cool drinks. Check.

Warm weather. Check.

Keeping safe. Double check.

Don’t turn the page in avoidance because, “I know how to be safe in the summer.”

That’s easy to say. But in that overconfidence comes a deadly complacency.

As the thermometer teeters with the three-digit mark, now is a good time to remember the importance of summer safety.

The oppressive heat is not only a pain with which to deal, it can be extremely dangerous, too.

Children and pets can quickly die when locked in a hot car — even for a few minutes.

The summer heat can quickly overcome the elderly, too.

But the heat is only one of a number of dangers lurking.

Many of summer’s most fun times involve playing on, around or in water, whether at one of the local lakes and rivers or a backyard pool.

Safety around the water is among the most important.

Our area has already suffered with one local teen drowning and another severely injured in a personal watercraft accident.

Accidents happen.

They are a fact of life.

But often some of the most tragic accidents may be preventable if we all put safety first.

Have fun this summer, but remember, next summer could be even better, so make sure you live through this one.