Photos: ‘Worst’ Western U.S. Heatwave Fuels Deadly Wildfire As Californians Brace For Power Outages

Breaking Business Photos: ‘Worst’ Western U. S. Heatwave Fuels Deadly Wildfire As Californians Brace For Power Outages Madeline Halpert Forbes Staff Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories.

Got it! Sep 5, 2022, 10:25am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A heat wave in the western U. S. fueled deadly wildfires in northern California over the weekend, with residents continuing to brace for potential power outages on Labor Day and early this week as temperatures in some cities are predicted to climb even higher.

People gather on Santa Monica beach amid an intense heat wave in Southern California on September 4. Getty Images Key Facts Several cities on Saturday and Sunday experienced some of the hottest days on record, including Salt Lake City (which broke a record for the month of September at 103 degrees ) and Long Beach, California, which hit 108 degrees, breaking a previous daily record. Some of the hottest days are still to come in Death Valley, Calif.

, where temperatures could top 120 degrees early this week, hovering near the all-time record of 126 degrees. In northern California’s Siskiyou County, near Oregon, the heat wave sparked a blaze known as the Mill Fire that left more than 100 homes destroyed and killed two people Sunday, according to the Associated Press. Officials also warned Sunday the chance of power outages in California will rise as electricity demand continues to increase and potentially exceed supply.

The warning comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency last week to boost power production ahead of the heat wave. A vehicle rests amid homes leveled by the Mill Fire in Weed, California on Saturday, Sept.

3, 2022. Associated Press Crucial Quote “This is the worst September heat wave in Western USA history no doubt,” climatologist and world weather historian Maximiliano Herrera tweeted Saturday. Stephanie Williams, 60, cools off with water from a hydrant in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Big Number About 50 million . That’s how many people were under excessive heat warnings, watches and heat advisories in the western U.

S on Friday just days after the heat wave began. Cal Fire crews work a flare up near the Barrett Mobile Home and RV Park as they fight the Border . .

. [+] Fire. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

All rights reserved Key Background The ongoing heat wave stretching from California to Montana that began August 30 has caused dozens of fires and has threatened energy supply and the health of millions of Americans. It is the latest in a series of heat waves in the region and across the U. S.

this summer, with several cities including Oakland, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle and Philadelphia breaking heat records. Officials in California and Nevada have urged residents to conserve energy to prevent power outages during the holiday weekend. As of Monday, the Mill Fire, meanwhile, was at 40% containment, according to California’s wildfire tracking website, after spanning nearly 4,000 acres as of Friday.

The western heat wave follows a host of other climate change-induced extreme weather events this summer in the U. S. , Europe and other parts of the world, including droughts, wildfires and floods.

Scientists have warned that such weather events are expected to become increasingly common as humans navigate the effects of climate change. Further Reading Unrelenting September heat wave grips California and western U. S.

(Washington Post) ‘Truly dangerous’ heat wave breaks California temperature records; 2 dead in Mill Fire (USA Today) California Braces For 115 Degree Weather Over Labor Day Weekend—With Death Valley Forecasted To Hit 124 (Forbes) Check out my website . Send me a secure tip . Madeline Halpert Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.