HEAT SEARS SOUTHLAND, FEEDS FIRES; 5-MONTH-OLD DIES INSIDE CLOSED VEHICLE.

Byline: Michael Coit and Kathryn Combs Daily News Staff Writers

Summerlike heat blasted the San Fernando Valley on Monday, fueling two brush fires in a preview of what firefighters predict will be a severe wildfire season.

On the hottest day of the year to date, Woodland Hills led the Valley with temperatures hitting 100, some 10 degrees above normal for the day. The Antelope Valley hit 102 degrees - and more hot weather is forecast through Friday, with an eventual cooling trend for the weekend.

In Claremont, a 5-month-old boy died Monday in 118-degree heat built up in a car where the child was left by a couple who had fallen asleep inside a motel room, police said.

Authorities said the child's parents were taken into custody on suspicion of felony child abuse and involuntary manslaughter.

With the official start of summer still a week away, blistering heat coupled with El Nino's bounty of brush and La Nina's parched winter has created perfect wildfire conditions, firefighters said.

``We have a recipe for disaster,'' said Brian Humphrey, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman. ``The summer is almost upon us, but the hot weather is already upon us.''

Seemingly on cue, a wildfire burned some two acres on the north end of Canyon Country on Monday. And firefighters from Los Angeles and Beverly Hills extinguished a two-acre brush fire in the 2200 block of Coldwater Canyon Drive. There were no injuries and no structures were damaged in the fires, authorities said.

A day earlier, Los Angeles Fire Department crews battled a three-acre brush fire in Woodland Hills that forced a partial closure of the Ventura Freeway, authorities said.

It was the first significant brush fire in the Valley so far this season.

For anyone outside Monday, the so-called June gloom that has held Los Angeles in its foggy grip was mostly a memory.

``I don't think it's all that hot. But now at least it feels like summer,'' said Laura Skelton, who was walking her 10-month-old yellow Labrador, Reilly, at the Sepulveda Basin dog park. ``It's the first hot day we've had in a while. It's a nice change.''

The 36-year-old plumbing contractor who works in Van Nuys tried to keep Reilly cool by pouring a glass of cold water on his back.

Forty-five-year-old Stan Shigeta, who was cooling himself with his son at the Winnetka Community Center and Park, said he it felt like the hottest day the Valley had seen so far this year.

He was right.

``We had a hot spell about a month ago but then it got cold. Now it's hot, and it's about time. Come on, it's the middle of June,'' he said.

The Los Angeles Civic Center high was 86. Temperatures soared in the valleys, with Glendale hitting 91, Burbank 93 and Newhall 97. Ventura County's highs reached 96 in both Simi Valley and Ojai.

High pressure to blame

The blast of hot air began over the weekend when a high-pressure system strengthened, said Jonathan Slemmer, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard.

``It has been a while since we had much in the way of heat. This one looks like it's going to be with us for most of the week,'' he said.

High temperatures will be 5 degrees to 10 degrees above normal, even with a slight cooling and a chance for morning clouds and fog in the Valley, Slemmer said. Normal highs in the Valley range from 85 to 90 this time of year, he said.

``We are in a period of drier and warmer weather. This is more typical of a little bit later on in the summer,'' he said.

With the blistering temperatures comes a heavy dose of smog, with the air quality expected to remain in the unhealthful range today in the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys.

Rich Gerston, a Weather Service spotter in Van Nuys, said the June gloom likely will return before summer truly takes over.

``This is just a reminder of what's to come, for sure by August,'' he predicted.

Fighting fire with gel

Hot, dry weather normally sets in by August and puts firefighters on edge for the worst part of the wildfire season.

But firefighters have a new weapon this year: Barricade Gel, a commercial product, is sprayed on homes and other structures as needed to help prevent the spread of wildfires.

``The fire will not catch. Now the fire may jump that building and go onto brush, but we want to protect the structures that are in the path of a fire. It also can be used on vegetation,'' Humphrey said.

The Fire Department is stocking 5-gallon cans of the gel at stations in the Valley, foothills and other areas prone to wildfires.

A gallon, with a retail cost of $35, will cover some 500 square feet. The gel, a super-absorbent polymer, can be washed away with water.

HEAT TIPS

Stay out of the sun between noon and 4 p.m.

Limit outdoor activity and reserve vigorous exercise to mornings and evenings.

Wear light-color and loose-fitting clothing and a wide-brim hat.

Drink plenty of water, juice or sports beverages because fluids help you sweat and keep your body cool.

Avoid hot and heavy meals, which increase metabolism and body temperature.

Keep cool by setting home air conditioning between 75 and 80 degrees. If air conditioning is not available, take a cool bath or shower once or twice a day and visit air-conditioned public places.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Fire Department

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Photo: (color) Laura Skelton of Canyon Country engages in a battle for the water with her dog, Reilly, at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park.

Andy Holzman/Daily News

Box: HEAT TIPS (see text)