A HOT RECORD: 105 DEGREES DRY SUMMER CONDITIONS, WINDS INCREASE WILDFIRE DANGER.Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - The mercury shot up to 105 degrees Friday in the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. , shattering the previous record for the date of 96 degrees and putting firefighters on alert. Residents also were urged to conserve energy through the weekend as the unexpected heat wave brought on by a high pressure system continues. The warning came a day after 500,000 Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 11 million people with electricity. customers - including thousands in Saugus - lost power Thursday afternoon. But the real concern through the weekend was the increasing fire danger as the heat continued, humidity declined and the winds picked up, said Capt. Mark Savage of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La . ``Things are continuing to dry out as we get more into the middle of what we consider our brush fire season,'' Savage said. Beginning Wednesday the department sent a strike team composed of five additional fire engines and a battalion chief to the Santa Clarita Valley. ``That's the only place in the entire county we've done that,'' Savage said. ``History and conditions have taught us we need to be ready in Santa Clarita.'' Fifty inches of rain fell in the region over the unusually wet winter, resulting in fields of new grass and other plants that are now drying as triple-digit temperatures continue. Countywide, 13 additional patrol units are monitoring outlying out·ly·ing adj. Relatively distant or remote from a center or middle: outlying regions. outlying Adjective far away from the main area Adj. 1. areas and seven more water-hauling trucks are on standby, he said. The National Weather Service predicted more of the same through Monday. Today and Sunday will continue sunny with highs of 100 to 105 and winds from the south up to 20 mph. Temperatures are expected to top out Monday at 101 and dip to the lower 90s the rest of next week. Edison officials urged conservation and offered some tips. ``We always encourage the prudent use of electricity, but especially during times of high temperatures,'' spokesman Tom Boyd
Thomas "Tom" Boyd (born November 24, 1965 in Glasgow) is a former football player. said. Edison recommends raising home thermostats to the high 70s or even to 80 degrees, using fans instead of air conditioners and running major appliances A major appliance is usually defined as a large machine which accomplishes some routine housekeeping task, which includes purposes such as cooking, food preservation, or cleaning, whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting. in the morning and evening to preserve power during peak demand. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Enrique Prado takes a water break while working on the Bouquet Bridge in Newhall on a scorching scorch v. scorched, scorch·ing, scorch·es v.tr. 1. To burn superficially so as to discolor or damage the texture of. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. Friday afternoon. Santa Clarita Valley temps hit 105 degrees. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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