Temperatures To Spike In Encino-Tarzana Elevating The Fire Threat

LOS ANGELES, CA —A heat wave is heading to the Los Angeles region, bringing with it an increased risk for fire danger and heat-related illnesses.

Temperatures are expected to spike dramatically Tuesday through Thursday, bringing triple digit temperatures to the valleys. Combined with the low humidity and very dry vegetation, and Southern California is in a very dangerous period as the official fire season kicks off.

In Encino-Tarzana, the high Wednesday is expected to reach 101 degrees.

The National Weather Service is reminding people to take precautions because the weather will have the potential of causing heat-related illnesses, particularly among infants and the elderly, the homeless, outdoor workers, anyone taking part in outdoor activities, and outdoor workers.

Forecasters blamed the hot spell on an upper-level ridge of high pressure now over North Texas combined with weakening onshore flow.

"There is an outside chance of dangerously hot conditions developing between Wednesday and Thursday," according to an NWS statement.

The NWS forecast a mixture of sunny and partly cloudy skies in L.A. County Monday and highs of 74 degrees at LAX; 75 in Avalon; 80 on Mount Wilson; 81 in Long Beach; 83 in Downtown L.A.; 87 in San Gabriel; 88 in Burbank; 90 in Pasadena; 92 in Saugus; 94 in Woodland Hills; 96 in Palmdale; and 97 in Lancaster. Though high, L.A. County Highs will be lower than during the region's recent heat waves, of which there have been three so far this summer. Temperatures will rise a few degrees over the coming days, reverting to Monday's levels on Friday.

Woodland Hills will hit 99 Tuesday, 104 Wednesday and 102 Thursday before lowering to 95 Friday.

NWS meteorologist Curt Kaplan said the coming days would not produce any heat records and that the warmest conditions -- spanning two days -- would not last long enough to be termed a heat wave. But temperatures will reach several degrees above normal. Burbank, where the normal high for this time of the year is 88, would reach 97, and Woodland Hills, where the normal is 93, would climb to 104. On the whole, Wednesday's L-A County highs will be 6-10 degrees above normal but 4-6 degrees above normal in the Antelope Valley.

By Friday, he said, temperatures will drop 5-9 degrees.

The NWS forecast sunny skies in Orange County Monday and highs of 70 in Laguna Beach; 71 in San Clemente; 72 in Newport Beach; 75 on Santiago Peak; 81 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feer; 82 in Irvine and Mission Viejo; 83 in Fullerton and Fremont Canyon; 84 in Trabuco Canyon; and 85 in Anaheim and Yorba Linda. Temperatures will rise a few degrees over the coming days, reverting to Monday's levels on Saturday.

The NWS urged residents to protect themselves and their loved ones over the hot spell by staying hydrated, wearing light clothing, avoiding the midday sun, checking on friends and neighbors -- especially the elderly -- and never leaving children or the elderly in cars parked in the heat, even with windows cracked open.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.