Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, Sept. 2. I’m Melissa Gomez, a Metro reporter for The Times, and I’m writing from my un-air-conditioned apartment in Los Angeles.
We are going into a long weekend, with many of us looking forward to Labor Day and the reprieve it may grant in the workweek. But it’s hard to ignore the “heat dome” hovering over California. The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings and advisories across several counties.
The heat dome, a phenomenon that typically brings about broiling conditions as summer comes to an end, is expected to last at least six days. But it’s unclear when this heat wave, the season’s longest and hottest so far, will end. Unsurprisingly, climate change is leading to more extreme heat events.
In my own apartment, I find myself fighting the sunlight. My windows usually let in a flood of natural light. Now every morning I cover them, battling the rays to keep things at least a little cooler while I work.
And like me, Californians — from Sacramento to San Diego — are feeling the intense heat bearing down beneath the dome. In San Luis Obispo County, one meteorologist said temperatures for inland areas would be “sizzling hot.” It’s going to be “disgustingly and dangerously hot” in Modesto, where the temperature is expected to reach 109 degrees. In the Central Valley, Kern County is expecting daily temperatures at or above 105 degrees for the next week.
For students, the extreme heat is shaping their school life: At some Los Angeles schools, asphalt can reach 145 degrees, and parents are demanding more shade so their children can play outside. In San Diego, students and parents at one high school are pushing to get working air conditioning systems into every classroom.
Some workers, especially those who work outdoors, were preparing as the heat wave got underway. Food truck workers told LAist that temperatures inside the trucks soar even higher than outside, so they were taking precautions to stay safe from heat-related illness — including plenty of water and frequent breaks.
The extreme heat is also fueling wildfires. The Route fire near Castaic exploded this week and burned more than 5,200 acres. By Thursday evening, it was 27% contained. The wildfire forced evacuations, and at least seven firefighters were hospitalized after suffering heat exhaustion injuries. In a rare move, officials pulled back firefighters on the front lines to reduce the risks they faced as temperatures reached 110 degrees.
Amid the heat and the fires, there are things we can do to stay safe — and maybe even enjoy the holiday. My colleagues around the newsroom have put together resources on how to keep your cool this Labor Day weekend. Here are some tips on how to stay safe during a heat wave, how to keep your pets safe, and a list of parks and public gardens that provide shady respite. If you’re able, here’s how to help out unhoused neighbors who are vulnerable to the extreme heat.
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