Excessive heat in San Diego County this weekend to heighten the risk of wildfires

Christelle Koumoué
·2 min read
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Excessive heat in San Diego County this weekend to heighten the risk of wildfires

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — An excessive heat warning is in effect for parts of San Diego County this weekend. And with the hotter temperatures comes the risk of wildfires.

An excessive heat warning is in effect for San Diego County deserts until 8 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Dangerously hot conditions are expected with temperatures up to 115 degrees.

With the extreme heat, it’s important to take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening.

While wildfires can happen at any time of the year in California, peak fire season usually begins in June or July.

‘Dangerously hot conditions’ expected in San Diego County deserts

A fire captain with CalFire said its currently peak wildfire season. He told FOX 5/KUSI they have been fully staffed and ready to fight fires in San Diego County since June 3.

“When it’s hot and/or dry or windy, that’s not the time to get outside and start doing work,” said Thomas Shoots, Fire Captain with CalFire of San Diego. “What we see a lot of times is people will be dragging their fields, it’s the metal strike on the rocks, they’re out there with lawn mowers where everything is really receptive right now, so it’s really easy to start a fire.”

Temperatures reach over 100 degrees in parts of San Diego County in first warmup of summer

He says every year they see fires started by people doing work in their yards in these conditions.

“It’s not an uncommon situation. This happens and it happens regularly. Usually we’re able to stop the fires before they get super big, but this is a big problem. We want people to take it seriously, because it’s certainly a potential,” said Fire Captain Shoots.

San Diego County has Cool Zones available for those in need. The County’s Cool Zones, including the County’s 33 branch libraries, community centers and other locations, offer people safe, air-conditioned sanctuaries from the heat.

Here’s a complete list and map of County Cool Zone sites.

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