Hot, Dry Weather to Increase Fire Danger in Southland Next Week

With another heat wave on the horizon next week accompanied by decreased humidity, forecasters issued a warning Saturday about elevated wildfire conditions away from the coast.

“The main story over the next seven days is the warming and drying trend, with increasing confidence that heat will likely peak in the Tuesday through Friday time frame,” the National Weather Service said Saturday.

After slight increase over the next couple days, temperatures are expected to ramp up by Tuesday, when many valley, lower mountain and desert locations could reach 90-102 degrees, leading to a moderate chance of a heat advisory.

The weather will produce widespread elevated fire weather, with “increased risk for large plume-dominated fire behavior,” according to the NWS.

Saturday’s inland highs were mostly in the 80s, but temperatures will rise to the low 90s Sunday in many areas, and the mid-90s by Monday, with triple-digit highs likely by mid-week in the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley.

Overnight lows will remain in the mid-to-upper 60s in most areas, and in the 70s in the Antelope Valley.

Health officials advised people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day and check up on relatives and neighbors.

The public was also urged to never leave children or pets in parked vehicles for even a minute, as temperatures inside vehicles can reach deadly levels in virtually no time.