Record heat scorches Southwest

LOS ANGELES—Wildfire warnings were posted across parts of three western states on Sunday as a heat wave baked the region in record, triple-digit temperatures, stoking flames in California from the coastal foothills outside Santa Barbara to desert brush near the Mexican border.

Excessive heat advisories and “red flag warnings” for extreme fire conditions were in effect across southern portions of California, Nevada and Arizona, the National Weather Service reported on the eve of the first official day of summer.

In the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, the mercury topped out at 42.8 C (109 degrees Fahrenheit), shattering the prior record high for the date of 40 C (104 F) set in 1973.

In Phoenix, Arizona, the temperature climbed to 47.7 C (118 F), which was way above the previous high mark for the date reached in 1968.

Life-threatening

Forecasters said recordbreaking heat would persist through Tuesday, especially in the Southwest, where temperatures could reach as high as 48.8 C (120 F).

“These extreme temperatures can be life-threatening,” the Weather Service said on its website.

Fire officials said the heat was a major factor in worsening a wind-driven blaze roaring through dry brush and chaparral about 80 kilometers east of San Diego, north of the Mexi- co border, forcing evacuations of dozens of homes in the desert community of Potrero.

The blaze, which erupted on Sunday morning, had blackened about 607 hectares and was still burning unchecked over steep terrain and droughtparched vegetation by evening.

Sherpa Fire

About 320 km to the north, excessive heat also continued to plague crews battling the socalled Sherpa Fire, which has been burning for a fifth day in the canyons and foothills near Santa Barbara.

That blaze has charred nearly 3,200 ha and forced hundreds of people from their homes.