With 115F Temps On The Way, Wildfires Erupt North Of Los Angeles, East Of San Diego

[hatrack]

Firefighters in California are battling several new blazes that ignited as the state is sweltering under a grueling heatwave. Flames burned through bone-dry brush in rural areas north of Los Angeles and east of San Diego on Thursday, forcing the closure of a major interstate and prompting evacuations of schools and care facilities.

The new fires come amid a prolonged and possibly record-setting heatwave that is engulfing the western US and is expected to last until Labor Day. Temperatures in the mid to upper 90s and lower 100s will probably result in widespread daily temperature records each day, the National Weather Service said on Thursday.

Excessive heat warnings are in effect across the desert south-west and California, with heat advisories stretching across much of the central Great Basin. High night-time temperatures will only increase the heat stress, the service warned, creating potentially dangerous situations for vulnerable individuals. Some areas in California already broke records – on Wednesday, Burbank reported a new August high at 112F.

The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency in response to the high temperatures, and warned the heatwave will strain the state’s power grid. The operator of the grid has asked residents to reduce use of electricity to avoid forced outages.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/01/wildfires-california-heatwave-los-angeles

[2naSalit]

1. Waiting for the next spark...

It's predicted to be well above 100F tomorrow, high 90s otherwise until further notice.

That's in Montana, most of which is north of the 45th
parallel.