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Fires rage in several states as heat wave broils western U.S.
Firefighters working in searing weather struggled to contain a Northern California wildfire that continued to grow Sunday and forced the temporary closure of a major highway, one of several large blazes burning across the U.S. West amid another heat wave that has shattered records and strained power grids.
by By Christopher Weber / The Associated Press
Jul. 11 2021 @ 10:48pm
Firefighters working in searing weather struggled to contain a Northern California wildfire that continued to grow Sunday and forced the temporary closure of a major highway, one of several large blazes burning across the U.S. West amid another heat wave that has shattered records and strained power grids.
Redding Record Searchlight
The National Weather Service warns North State residents will see temperatures so high this weekend, they re considered dangerous to people s and animals health.
The NWS issued excessive heat warnings for Northern California s interior, in effect Friday afternoon through Monday night. Temperatures over the weekend are forecast to go as high as 116 degrees in the Sacramento Valley, and well above 100 degrees in the foothills. Mountain temperatures could reach 105 degrees.
Hottest temperatures arriving Saturday and Sunday could shatter daily record highs, said NWS meteorologist Scott Rowe in Sacramento.
Redding could reach 116 degrees both days. That would beat previous records set on July 10, 2002 (115 degrees) and July 11, 1999 (114 degrees), Rowe said.
California and other parts of the West broil and burn
By CHRISTOPHER WEBERJuly 12, 2021 GMT
Firefighters working in searing heat struggled to contain the largest wildfire in California this year while state power operators urged people to conserve energy after a huge wildfire in neighboring Oregon disrupted the flow of electricity from three major transmission lines.
A large swath of the West baked during the weekend in triple-digit temperatures that were expected to continue into the start of the work week. The California Independent System Operator that manages the state’s power grid issued a five-hour ”flex alert” starting at 4 p.m. Monday and asked consumers to “conserve as much electricity as possible” to avoid any outages.
Flex Alert for San Diego, rest of state issued Monday amid heat, Oregon wildfire
Gregory Bull/AP
FILE PHOTO: Surfers leave the water next to Scripps Pier Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
and last updated 2021-07-11 21:09:59-04
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) â California s electrical grid operator said Sunday that a Flex Alert would be issued once again for the state to start the week, as high heat cooks the west and a wildfire in Oregon rages.
The Flex Alert would begin on Monday at 4 p.m. and last until 9 p.m., Cal-ISO announced. The alert is needed because of the heatwave that has left much of the west sweltering and Oregon s Bootleg Fire, which has impacted electrical transmission lines that feed power into the Golden State.
State electrical-grid operator asks consumers to reduce power use in the evening
Uploaded: Sun, Jul 11, 2021, 8:29 pm
Strain on the state s electrical system has prompted the California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO) to issue a Flex Alert for 4-9 p.m. Monday.
Officials said the alert is needed to stabilize the state s electric grid because of the impact of the Bootleg Fire in Klamath County, Oregon, on electric transmission lines and the continuing heat wave across the Western United States.
During the Flex Alert, California electricity consumers are asked to set their thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits; avoid using major appliances; turn off unnecessary lights; use fans for cooling; and unplug unused electronics.