POULSBO — The beach was made for hot, sunny days, not so much the inside of a parked car or unventilated house.

As the weather forecast for this week aims higher for much of North Kitsap, law enforcement authorities have cautioned residents to stay cool and not to leave children and pets in cars unattended.

As a way to beat the heat, this week the Poulsbo Fire Department is opening a “cooling station” for those without air-conditioning, a free place residents can spend the dog days of summer.

Temperatures are expected to hover in the 90s Tuesday through Thursday, with Wednesday’s high expected to be 94 degrees, according to the Weather Underground.

It can take only 10 minutes or the temperature inside a parked vehicle to reach deadly temperatures on a hot day, according to a statement from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.

And the number of calls reporting children and pets left inside has increased, the statement said.

“Summertime interior temperatures of parked vehicles are deadly even with the windows partially open,” Sheriff Steve Boyer said in the statement.

For safety, keep kids and pets away from unattended cars.

The fire department is offering its large conference room today through Friday as a retreat from the heat.

“It’s nothing glamorous, but it sure feels good,” said Jody Matson, spokeswoman for the department.

The department will have available bottled water, playing cards, magazines and a DVD player.

The cooling station is located at the department headquarters, 911 Liberty Road, of State Highway 305.

The cooling station is open all day Monday. On Tuesday it’s open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Wednesday it’s open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Thursday it’s open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Friday the cooling station will be open as needed.