The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning on Saturday for Southern California’s inland and desert communities. The forecast indicates triple-digit temperatures throughout next week, posing an increased risk of fire in some areas.
Temperatures ranging from 100 to 110 degrees are expected in parts of Los Angeles County, which includes Palmdale and Lancaster, as well as smaller towns situated in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley. This warning will remain in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday.
In addition to that, mountain regions of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, along with desert communities in the Inland Empire like Victorville and Apple Valley, have received heat warnings.
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High winds and dry conditions in the Central Valley are causing concerns about wildfires. To prevent these fires, Pacific Gas and Electric has announced a power shutoff plan that could affect thousands of customers. The areas mainly affected will be Fresno, Sacramento, and Bakersfield.
The Angeles National Forest has been a major cause of concern in terms of wildfires in Los Angeles County.
Over the weekend, a wildfire ignited in the Fork area of the forest and quickly expanded to cover an area of 330 acres. The fire prompted a response from over 200 personnel belonging to federal, state, and county agencies who worked tirelessly to contain it. According to Angeles National Forest spokeswoman Dana Dierkes, “lots of air tankers and helicopters” were utilized to combat the flames.
As of Saturday morning, the Fork wildfire remained uncontained, with zero percent progress in containing it, according to Dierkes. The vegetation in the area is extremely dry, and the high temperatures have added to the difficulty in controlling the blaze. Dierkes expressed hope that the officials would be able to put out the fire as soon as possible.
According to Dierkes, two individuals received medical attention for possible smoke inhalation. As a precautionary measure, recreational visitors were evacuated from both the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and the parking lot area at the East Fork Trailhead. However, residents have not yet been asked to evacuate.
If you’re planning to cool off from the hot weather in L.A., the East Fork area is a perfect destination for hiking and camping. However, those who intend to access the river through East Fork will be disappointed to know that the road has been closed. This measure has been taken to ensure that the crews and equipment have a clear path to fight the ongoing fire in the area.
Over on the eastern side, near the intersection of Angeles National Forest and San Bernardino National Forest, a group of 300 firefighters are currently fighting the Vista wildfire. This fire has already consumed nearly 3,000 acres on the southern edge of Lytle Creek. However, as reported on Saturday morning by the interagency information website, InciWeb, the fire is now 83% contained.
According to Dierkes, the Angeles National Forest and its surrounding areas have witnessed 38 wildfires during the period from July 1 to July 11.
California officials have reported that the Deer fire, which affected about 270 acres in Palmdale located north of East Avenue Q & 35th Street East, has been completely contained. The fire broke out on Friday afternoon and was extinguished separately from the ongoing Bobcat fire.
