Extreme heat, wildfires sweep the Southwest

By Liam Hibbert
The Center Square

Extreme heat and wildfires have defined this summer in the Southwest.

Meteorologists are warning residents to be aware of air quality alerts and high temperatures. They advise checking for regular updates.

“The heat will certainly help to continue to dry out the fuels,” National Weather Service meteorologist Casey Oswant in San Diego told The Center Square Monday. “The fuel moisture across the area is decreasing, and so that makes them more susceptible to catching on fire.”

Heat warnings are in effect across Southern California, with the weather service putting out an Extreme Heat Watch for the Central Coast and Los Angeles area from Tuesday morning through Thursday afternoon. Temperatures were expected to peak Wednesday, with highs up to 110 in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley.

Simi Valley in neighboring Ventura County was expected to see highs of 94 on Tuesday and 100 on Wednesday. And in the Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles, Lancaster was expected to see a high of 104 on Tuesday and 109 on Wednesday.

Down south on the coast, San Diego is among California’s cooler spots, with highs expected in the mid- to upper 70s throughout the week, according to the weather service.

Arizona, which saw extreme heat warnings across the state last week, has begun to see the first signs of the oncoming monsoon season and its accompanying heavy rains, especially in the northern areas. While highs remain in the low-90s to 100s for the Phoenix area, the increase of rain and moisture was expected to lessen the risk of wildfires for the state, according to the weather service.

“Typically when we see the arrival of monsoon moisture, we start to see wildfire season waning,” NWS’ Flagstaff, Ariz., meteorologist Megan Taylor told The Center Square. “And that’s what we’re seeing so far. With the increase of moisture, we start to see higher humidity, and as the season progresses, we see more and more rainfall. Once it becomes pretty widespread across the region, then that really starts to mitigate the wildfire threat.”

Wildfires across the southwestern U.S. are ongoing and more widespread than usual. As of last week, the year-to-date acreage burn for the entire U.S. was up 46% compared to the last 10 years, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

In Utah, nearly 240,000 acres are currently burning across four wildfires, including the nation’s largest: the Babylon Fire.

Located in southeastern Utah, the Babylon Fire passed 106,000 acres as of Monday, with roughly 50% fire containment, according to the local Forest Service office.

“We’ve been under a stretch of really hot, dry, and windy conditions for quite a long period now. And that’s just been really drying out our fuels, making them a lot more receptive to combustion,” National Weather Service meteorologist Braeden Winters told The Center Square last week. Winters is based in NWS’ Grand Junction, Colorado, office, which serves the Babylon Fire area of neighboring Utah in addition to Colorado.

“Add to it the days around when it ignited, especially through that weekend of the 27th and 28th, we saw really strong winds and wind gusts down in that area,” Winter said Wednesday about the Babylon Fire.

The greater Salt Lake City area of Utah has also experienced extreme heat, with temperature records already being set this week, including an all-time high of 109 degrees Sunday at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

“Temperatures that hot and that continual in nature do add a potential for heat illnesses, especially for people that are not able to have proper cooling, people that don’t have air conditioning or swamp coolers, as well as people that aren’t able to get proper hydration, unhoused populations, and people that are doing outdoor activities,” NWS meteorologist Christine Kruse in Salt Lake City told The Center Square.

“These temperatures put them at risk of heat-related illness,” Kruse said Monday.

Elsewhere, Colorado is currently the nation’s second-most state affected by this year’s wildfire season, with over 200,000 acres blazing across five ongoing fires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The center said the Aspen Acres Fire, Colorado’s largest, has burned over 98,000 acres in the southern areas. An estimated 35% of the wildfire has been contained as of Monday, up from 15% last Wednesday.

Much of the Denver area is currently under both a heat advisory and air quality alert by the NWS. While the state’s wildfires have recently impacted air quality in the region, the weather service’s Denver/Boulder meteorologist Abby Peppepp said the current air quality alert was more impacted by a typical summer smog.

Peppepp added that Denver area residents should take necessary precautions for near-record heat. Denver was expected to see highs around the mid-90s throughout the week, according to the weather service.

“Make sure that you’re hydrating, drinking water even before you’re thirsty, wearing light colored and lightweight clothing when you’re outside, and limiting outdoor activities during the hottest part of the days – which are typically between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.,” Peppepp told The Center Square Monday “In terms of air quality, if you are in those sensitive groups with respiratory issues – limiting your time outside and limiting your exercise outside.”

Kruse had similar advice for people in the Salt Lake City area.

“In some of our areas, especially in our southern recreation areas and national parks, that could mean that you need to carry three liters of water or more on yourself when you go on a hike,” said Kruse. “If you’re not going to skip the peak heat, you need to make sure you have plenty of water with you.”

Kruse added that cooling centers were set up across Salt Lake County amidst the high summer heat.

Las Vegas, which always has hot summers, saw a high of 104 degrees Monday and was expected to see a high of 105 Tuesday, climbing to a high of 109 by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Isolated thunder storms were part of the forecast through Tuesday. Things were somewhat cooler up north, with a high of 87 Monday in Reno. Showers are likely for Tuesday with a high of 85, the National Weather Service said, predicting sunny weather for the rest of the week and temperatures as high as 95 on Thursday and Friday.

In California, which is experiencing fewer-than-usual wildfires, Oswant warned people to be aware of their impact on the environment. He advised campers to check the burning day rules and to avoid throwing cigarettes out their car windows.

“Make sure they’re not having chains dragging on the road, and that kind of thing,” the San Diego meteorologist said. “Just be more aware of [your] actions and things that could cause a spark.”

Cooler conditions are being seen much farther north. San Francisco was expected to see a high of 79 on Tuesday, but the weather serviced predicted highs would fall to the mid-70s by Wednesday and the upper 60s by Thursday.