South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Devastating Calif. heat wave expected to worsen this week
The heat wave that began this past week in California has fueled fires across the state, caused power-outage concerns and prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency. But the worst may be coming this holiday weekend.
Highs are expected to hit 100 degrees and beyond across much of the state, with the hottest temperatures forecast for Sunday and Monday. Many parts of the state will see excessive heat well into this week.
Warm overnight lows will only increase the heat stress, the National Weather Service warned. Those conditions will not give people a proper respite from the heat and create potentially dangerous situations for vulnerable individuals.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, temperatures in the 90s and 100s are expected over the next three days, with some locations potentially reaching 110, according to the weather service.
The weather service office in Sacramento predicted highs up to 104 on Saturday, 109 on Sunday and 112 on Monday. High temperatures are expected in the area until Wednesday.
In Southern California, the entire coastal plain will experience high temperatures in the 80s and low 90s, while inland regions such as valleys, mountains and deserts will see temperatures between 105 and 115, according to the weather service office in Los Angeles.
The prolonged heat has caused strains to the electric grid in the state. As of Friday, there were 62 outages with 6,328 customers affected in Southern California. More than 1,400 maintenance outages are scheduled in the next few weeks across the region, according to Southern California Edison. That could affect more than 65,000 customers.
While the state endures the heat wave, several fires have been ignited.
The Mill Fire started early Friday afternoon just north of Weed, a city of about 2,600 people some 250 miles north of San Francisco. The flames raced into the Lincoln Heights neighborhood where a significant number of homes burned and residents had to flee.
Cal Fire Siskiyou Unit Chief Phil Anzo said crews worked all day and night to protect structures in Weed and in a subdivision to the east.
“There’s a lot at stake on that Mill Fire. There’s a lot of communities, a lot of homes there,” said Anzo, who estimated about 100 homes and other buildings were lost in the blaze.
The fire was 20% contained as of Saturday morning.
North of Los Angeles County, the Route Fire has scorched 5,208 acres, injured seven firefighters and destroyed two structures after it began Wednesday. As of Saturday morning, the fire was 71% contained. Southeast of San Diego, near the Mexican border, the Border 32 Fire, which also started Wednesday, was 65% contained. It has burned more than 4,400 acres. No injuries have been reported.