Palm Springs breaks all-time heat record at 124 degrees

A dangerous heat wave broiling California fueled new fires in the state this week, with Palm Springs recording an all-time high of 124 degrees.

Forecasters say the Palm Springs temperature beat the previous high of 123 degrees recorded in 2021, 1995 and 1993. Broiling temperatures roasted communities across California, with more extreme heat expected through next week.

A fire that started on the Fourth of July and is threatening the town of Mariposa outside Yosemite National Park.

The French fire started near French Camp Road at Highway 49 just northwest of Mariposa after 6:30 p.m. Thursday and grew to 843 acres by Friday morning, triggering mandatory evacuations for about 300 Mariposa residents and the closure of State Route 140 leading into Yosemite National Park.

It was one of several fires that erupted in California leading into the weekend, when gusty winds, triple-digit heat and unusually warm overnight temperatures are creating conditions experts say is priming much of the state’s landscape to burn.

“These conditions are so hot anything that can create a spark can create a fire that can grow real fast,” said Ryan Kittell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

Heavy vegetation, low humidity and gusty winds helped the French fire spread quickly throughout the evening, said Jamie Williams, spokesperson with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, pushing across a mountain east of the community of Mariposa.

Lower temperatures and rising humidity by 2 a.m., however, helped firefighters make progress and cut the fire line east of the community, she said.

“It’s looking a lot better,” she said. “[Friday morning] they’ve been concentrating on the eastern side of the fire, which has a bit steeper, more isolated terrain.”

By Friday afternoon, the fire was 15% contained.

Dozers and fire crews have constructed a fire line around the eastern side of Mariposa, giving firefighters some space to gain the upper hand on the flames.

It’s unclear whether any structures have been damaged by the fire, but Williams said firefighters have so far been able to keep the flames out of Mariposa.

“The town was threatened, but the efforts of the firefight helped stem the flames,” she said.

Firefighters were hoping lower temperatures in the evening would help them make more gains on containment.

On Friday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his office secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides 75% reimbursement for fire suppression costs. A similar grant was also secured for the 3,789-acre Thompson fire in Butte County earlier in the week. That blaze was 46% contained, Cal Fire said.

Going into the weekend, the National Weather Service predicts it could reach 110 degrees in Mariposa on Saturday and 109 on Sunday, all while overnight temperatures never dip below the 70s at night, giving the landscape virtually no ability to regain any moisture that would make it more difficult to burn.

The story is the same for much of California, where heat domes in the spring burned away moisture and set the table for the current spell of fires. The largest of them is the Basin fire in Fresno County, which started June 26. The fire was 14,027 acres and 46% contained Friday. The Thompson fire started in Oroville on Tuesday.

On mid-afternoon Friday, the Hills fire erupted among vegetation in unincorporated Riverside County. Cal Fire sent a helicopter to help in the response and the fire stood at 70 acres by late afternoon. Evacuations were ordered for a small area near the fire.

Another blaze, dubbed the Plenty fire, sparked in the Santa Clarita area and had grown to 45 acres as of shortly before 6 p.m.

Though California is no stranger to fire and heat, it’s where we are at this point in the year that’s unusual, experts say.

“Typically we get these temperatures more into August,” Kittell said. “But even if this was August, it would still be in the upper range of heat conditions. We’re talking about some of the interior areas, like the deserts, are [likely] breaking their all-time temperature records, regardless of day and month.”

The heat is expected to peak Friday and Saturday in Southern California, Kittell said, until the northerly wind begins to shift to a more offshore wind by Sunday, bringing a slight cooling from the ocean.

That means outdoor activities during the holiday weekend could be taxing.

“Maybe walk on the beach, as opposed to a strenuous hike in the mountains,” he said.

The Inland Empire will also see extreme heat, with highs expected in the triple digits this weekend.

In the Antelope Valley, Palmdale and Lancaster could see their respective heat records of 113 and 115 degrees broken on Saturday, when they’re each forecasted to reach 116 degrees. Palmdale Airport already broke one record this week when it reached 110 degrees on Thursday, breaking its previous record set in 1973, the National Weather Service said.

In Saugus, the heat reached a scorching 118 degrees Friday, the hottest temperature in the area, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, the city opened an additional four “augmented” cooling centers in anticipation of the hot temperatures. Officials said the locations were meant to help the other cooling centers throughout the county, including libraries and recreation centers, with extended hours.

Those heading to the beach to cool off will have to take extra precautions, as strong ocean currents are expected to create 3- to 6-foot waves as well as rip currents and powerful shore breaks.

The heat is expected to linger longer in the northern part of the state, with the heat advisory lasting until Tuesday, said Dakari Anderson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

Temperatures in the region are expected to persist between 95 to 110 degrees, he said, and he said the rest of the week will probably stay hot as well.

Red Bluff broke a daily record on Thursday, Anderson said, with 107 degrees, and the rest of the region will remain uncharacteristically hot for this time of year.

“We usually don’t see heat of this magnitude in July,” he said, adding that by the end of next week, several areas will probably have broken records for consecutive days with temperatures of more than 100 degrees, and perhaps greater than 105 degrees in some areas.

Newsom this week directed the Office of Emergency Services to activate the State Operations Center in response to the excessive heat warnings enveloping much of the state. A list of cooling centers listed by county is available online.

Times staff writer Liam Dillon contributed to this report.