A scorching heat wave blanketing parts of Southern California is expected to continue through the weekend, with temperatures well over 100 degrees in the valleys and interior while continuing to create dangerous fire conditions across the state.
Temperatures on Saturday are expected to be in the mid-90s to as high as 105 degrees in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, while Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley could see highs as high as 115 degrees, officials said.
“Temperatures in Lancaster and Palmdale could approach or exceed record highs,” said Joe Szilard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Heat has broken records across the state this week, with Palm Springs reaching 124 degrees on Friday, breaking the previous record of 123 degrees set in 2021, 1995 and 1993.
The weather service warned that temperatures in Death Valley soared to 127 degrees on Friday and were expected to rise to 128 degrees on Saturday.
Extreme heat, low humidity and strong winds prompted officials to issue a red flag warning along the Highway 5 corridor and in the Antelope Valley foothills through the weekend, Szilard said.
A man plays football against a wall in Venice Beach on a warm afternoon.
(Wally Scully/Los Angeles Times)
“Fire is dangerous anywhere,” he said, “but this is a high level of danger. [Fires] It spreads rapidly and explosively, making it extremely dangerous for firefighters.
Firefighters continued to battle multiple wildfires across California on Saturday amid sweltering heat. The largest of these is the Fresno County Basin Fire, which started on June 26.
Crews began to contain the French Fire, which started on July 4 and threatened the town of Mariposa outside Yosemite National Park. The 908-acre fire, which temporarily triggered mandatory evacuations and closed State Highway 140 into the park, is now 25 percent contained.
In Southern California, the Santa Barbara County fire grew to 4,673 acres on Saturday morning with zero containment efforts, officials said. A fire early Saturday near Zacha Lake in the Santa Ynez Valley prompted evacuation orders for areas north of Zacha Lake Road, east of Fox Canyon Road and south of the Sisquak River.
Scott Safechuck, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, said in a post that temperatures in the 90s and extremely low nighttime humidity helped the fire spread, while the sky above the fire A layer of warm air traps the smoke close to the ground.
Further south, the Rancho Fire, reported Friday night, burned about 13 acres of brush along Highway 101 near Thousand Oaks.
Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Andy VanSciver said in a video posted on X that the Rancho Fire was under control as of around 7 p.m. Friday. Firefighters worked overnight to extinguish hot spots after their advance was halted, he said.
Charlie Hammond (left) and Pierre Modak relax in Venice Beach on a warm afternoon on Tuesday.
(Wally Scully/Los Angeles Times)
In Riverside County, firefighters have successfully contained the 70-acre Hills Fire near Juniper Springs, which was 75% contained as of Saturday afternoon.
Authorities have evacuated the area near Juniper Flats Road and Mapes Road in the home area where a fire broke out Friday afternoon. People affected by the evacuations were directed to Tahquitz High School in Hemet and the Riverside County Animal Shelter in San Jacinto.
Meanwhile, residents in Los Angeles County’s valleys and interior areas are urged to stay indoors during the day if possible and avoid hiking, even in areas where sea levels look cooler.
“Even in the Santa Monica Mountains close to the coast, once you get above a certain altitude, 1,500 feet, it gets very, very hot,” Szilard said.
Coulson Park Pool lifeguard Ellie Gonzalez (right) keeps a close eye on swimmers as temperatures soar into triple digits in Palmdale on Wednesday.
(Brian Vanderbrugge/Los Angeles Times)
Szilard said people should follow common sense practices such as staying hydrated throughout the day and wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing. If you want to soak up the sun, head to the beach, where temperatures should be in the mid-70s to low-80s, Szilard said.
“If people want to escape the heat this weekend,” he said, “the coast is the place to be.”
The city of Los Angeles opened four cooling centers over the weekend where people can escape the heat:
Lakeview Terrace Recreation Center, 11075 Foothill Blvd., Lakeview Terrace
Mid Valley Senior Center, 8825 Kester Ave., Panorama City
Fred Roberts Recreation Center, 4700 S. Honduras St., Los Angeles
Jim Gilliam Recreation Center, 400 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles
Here you’ll find Los Angeles County’s network of more than 150 cooling centers located in libraries, parks, and community centers.
