Brutal heat cancels Fourth of July events, from DC to Philadelphia

"As much as this decision pains everyone inside our organisation, we simply cannot host an event of this size and scale under these dangerous heat conditions," Michael DelBene, the CEO of parade organiser Wawa Welcome America, said in a statement to the BBC.Getty ImagesPeople gather outside of Independence Hall after news emerged that the parade in Philadephia had been cancelledIn Washington, an Independence Day morning was cancelled "after extensive and careful consideration of the safety of our participants, spectators and staff as the top priority", organisers said. The intense heat also led to the closure of the fair on the National Mall for several hours on Friday, one day before the holiday. The State Fair reopened at 17:00 local time (21:00 GMT) after conditions improved, organiser Freedom 250 said. "The safety and wellbeing of our guests, volunteers, performers, vendors and staff is our highest priority," it said. The DC Fire and EMS Department treated several people for "heat-related illnesses" at the fair on Friday, a spokesperson for the department told the BBC. He said these were caused by "record-breaking temperatures" at the event.At least 11 people were taken by ambulance from the fair, the spokesperson said, but did not elaborate on whether all had heat-related illnesses. "It is going to be a very busy weekend," a spokesperson for the DC Fire and EMS Department told the Washington-post" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="7255" data-entity-type="organization">Washington Post.