California faces another intense heat wave, fire risk warnings

FILE PHOTO  (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

LOS ANGELES – Summer may be over, but Mother Nature will turn up the heat in parts of Southern California Tuesday, with “dangerously hot temperatures” possible in some areas, along with increased risk of wildfires.

Forecasters said temperatures will increase Tuesday and again Wednesday, leading to the potentially dangerous heat wave over that span before a cool-down begins Thursday.

Excessive heat warnings will be in place from 11 a.m. Tuesday until 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, where temperatures could reach 108 degrees; and in the Western San Gabriel Mountains and Interstate 5 and 14 freeway corridors, with highs potentially reaching 104 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

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A red flag warning of critical fire danger conditions will be in effect from 9 a.m. Tuesday until 8 p.m. Thursday for the western Dan Gabriel Mountains and 14 Freeway corridor, thanks to the anticipated heat, gusty northeast winds and low humidity.

Less severe heat advisories will be in place from 11 a.m. Tuesday until 8 p.m. Wednesday in the San Gabriel Valley, the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area and eastern San Gabriel Mountains, where temperatures will flirt with the triple-digit mark.

Although temperatures are expected to back off by Thursday, roughly falling 3 to 6 degrees, forecasters said there is a chance the threat of a potentially dangerous heat wave could persist in some areas.

In areas under the threat of excessive heat, forecasters repeated their standard warning for people to be on the lookout for signs of heat illness, particularly in “the very young, the very old, those without air conditioning and those active outdoors.”

Temperatures in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento Valley could also reach the triple digits by Wednesday.

With dry wind gusts and an elevated risk of fast-moving wildfires, the Pacific Gas & Electric has issued power shutoff warnings for Monday and Tuesday.

PG&E said it could cut power to customers in the following counties as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff: Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Humboldt, Napa, Shasta, Sonoma, Tehama and Trinity.

Those same counties could face another power shutoff Tuesday, the utility said. (With CNS report)