Deadly California heat wave with record-high ‘kiln-like’ temperatures leaves wildfires burning
CALIFORNIA suffered through a weekend of record-high “kiln-like” temperatures, while parts of the state are also dealing with ongoing, or worsening, wildfires. Several locations in the state experienced their hottest September day on record Sunday, while others logged their hottest temperature ever recorded. Temperatures in Woodland Hills, about 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles, reached […]
CALIFORNIA suffered through a weekend of record-high “kiln-like” temperatures, while parts of the state are also dealing with ongoing, or worsening, wildfires.
Several locations in the state experienced their hottest September day on record Sunday, while others logged their hottest temperature ever recorded.
Temperatures in Woodland Hills, about 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles, reached 121 degrees – the highest ever recorded in Los Angeles County.
Chino, about 32 miles from LA, also hit 121 degrees.
The Weather Service office in Los Angeles described the heat as “kiln-like” as 99 percent of the state was put under an excessive-heat warning or heat advisory, according to the Washington Post.
Many areas were also under fire warnings as the heat worsened ongoing wildfires in the state, and helped fuel new ones.
At least one death has been recorded due to the heat: a 41-year-old woman who was hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains Saturday, where temperatures surpassed 110 degrees, according to CNN.
The woman reportedly collapsed after beginning to feel sick during the hike. Paramedics on the scene were unable to revive her.
On Sunday, the California Department of Parks and Recreation announced that all Santa Monica Mountains hiking trails were closed through Monday at 5pm due to the extreme heat.
On Monday, the US Forest Service followed suit, announcing that nearly half of California’s national forests would be temporarily shut down beginning at 5pm Monday, due to a mix of extreme heat and dangerous fire conditions.
The Forest Service also announced that the use of any ignition source – like campfires and gas stoves – would be prohibited on all National Forest System lands throughout California.
The service stressed that the new rules would go into effect indefinitely as firefighting resources are currently “stretched to the limit.”
The heat led to a a massive blaze in the Sierra National Forest, about 290 miles north of Los Angeles, that led to about 1,000 people getting stranded near Mammoth Pool reservoir, according to the Washington Post.
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Two hundred people reportedly had to be rescued from the area by military helicopters, and about a dozen had sustained injuries.
Late Sunday night, California Gov Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, San Bernardino and San Diego because of the wildfires.
Millions of residents have been advised to evacuate.