California sends additional state firefighting resources to L.A. County amid looming heat wave, red flag warnings

Some of California’s state firefighting resources have been deployed in Los Angeles County amid red flag warnings issued ahead of a heat wave that’s expected to descend on Southern California in the coming days.

The state Office of Emergency Services sent 10 fire engines, two water tenders, two bulldozers, a helicopter, two hand crews, three dispatchers and an incident management team to the county in hopes of slashing response times and lessening the impact of any fires that start amid the heat event.

“This strategy is about protecting lives, property, and communities by ensuring help is ready when it’s needed most,” said OES Director Nancy Ward in a news release Tuesday.

A red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service, indicating extreme fire-weather conditions, goes into effect 9 a.m. Wednesday and lasts through 9 p.m. Saturday for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Impacted areas include the 5 Freeway Corridor north of Los Angeles, the Santa Clarita Valley, the San Gabriel Mountains, the Antelope Valley foothills, the 14 Freeway Corridor and the Ventura County Mountains.

Some areas across Southern California could reach highs of more than 100 degrees as the heat wave develops.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service to peak Friday. Projected highs across the region that day include:

• Long Beach: 92
• Pasadena: 101
• Los Angeles: 90
• Santa Ana: 84
• San Clemente: 81
• San Bernardino: 105
• Ontario: 100
• Murrieta: 100

To prevent heat-related illness, experts recommend residents drink lots of water and electrolytes; stay inside or in cool outdoor spaces, especially during peak hours of 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; do outdoor activities like walking the dog in the early morning and evening hours and, for those who have to work outside, take frequent breaks in air conditioned or shaded areas.