INDIAN SUMMER ON WARPATH TEMPS HIT RECORD HIGHS, BLAZES ERUPT.Byline: Michael Gougis Staff Writer More record heat scorched 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. the Southland on Tuesday, sending striking pickets under shade trees, fanning several brush fires and forcing millions to stay indoors and crank up the air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. sky-high. For the second consecutive day, thermometers hit record triple-digit marks: Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , 106; Woodland Hills, 102; Chatsworth, 101. Burbank also set a record of 101 degrees Tuesday, busting the 1965 record of 98 degrees. The record-breaking heat intensified four brush fires that broke out across Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , including a 150-acre blaze in the hills above Burbank. The ``suspicious fire'' erupted about 3:45 p.m. in Wildwood Canyon Wildwood Canyon is a protected area in California. It is still under development. External links
``It took off very, very quickly, with the sun on the hill. The brush was overheated o·ver·heat v. o·ver·heat·ed, o·ver·heat·ing, o·ver·heats v.tr. 1. To heat too much. 2. To cause to become excited, agitated, or overstimulated. v.intr. and it just took off,'' Bell said. ``Palm trees were burning like tiki torches.'' No structures were damaged and the cause remained under investigation. Other fires included a 2,000-acre wildfire at the far north end of Fontana in San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United States San Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. County; a brush fire at Camp Pendleton that charred more than 500 acres in an uninhabited area used for training exercises; and a fast-moving blaze that destroyed at least two homes in the Reche Canyon area of Riverside County. An area of high pressure was holding back a cool offshore marine layer, causing the heat to build up on land, said Bonnie bon·ny also bon·nie adj. bon·ni·er, bon·ni·est Scots 1. Physically attractive or appealing; pretty. 2. Excellent. Bartling of the National Weather Service. ``All the warm air is pushing out to the beaches, and it just doesn't cool down,'' Bartling said. But cooler weather is on its way. Weather forecasters said the heat was expected to wane as early as today, with the ridge of hot air flattening, allowing the marine layer to come back onshore. Temperatures were expected to drop as much as 10 degrees today, Bartling said. Southern Californians turned up air conditioners and left them on all day Tuesday as energy usage also set records for mid-October, the Department of Water and Power said. Electricity use hit a peak of 4,760 megawatts Tuesday, the highest ever for this date. It was also nearly 20 percent higher than Oct. 14's peak and only 13 percent lower than this year's highest-usage day, Aug. 14. Searing sear 1 v. seared, sear·ing, sears v.tr. 1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of with or as if with a hot instrument. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. temperatures beat down on workers manning picket lines in the Valley, forcing many to seek shade wherever they could find it. ``We're trying to stay out of the sun as much as we can,'' said Sonia Hernandez, 34, of Van Nuys. Hernandez, one of 70,000 grocery workers on strike across the Southland, was waving a picket sign under a shade tree outside a Ralphs grocery store in Burbank. She and her colleague, Karina Escabedo, 30, of North Hills were armed with Gatorade, sunscreen sunscreen /sun·screen/ (-skren) a substance applied to the skin to protect it from the effects of the sun's rays. sun·screen n. and baseball caps to cope with the heat. Elsewhere, strikers found relief from generous passers-by. ``Yesterday, a guy in a Budweiser truck stopped in the middle of the street, hopped out and gave us pizzas and a six-pack of soda,'' said Darrell Cederlind, 53, of Canyon Country, outside a Ralphs in North Hollywood. ``The heat's not so bad. But if it was hot and humid ...'' While the lack of humidity was good news for those stuck outdoors, it made firefighters especially nervous. On alert for brush fires, the county Fire Department readied extra crews, bulldozers and helicopter-fueling teams in addition to canceling scheduled burns, said Inspector Ed Osorio. ``The high temperatures, the humidity in the single digits, these are perfect conditions for brush fires,'' Osorio said Tuesday. ``There is the potential to have a big fire today.'' Michael Gougis, (818) 713-3762 michael.gougis(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box, map Photo: (1 -- color) Flames gobble 1. gobble - To consume, usually used with "up". "The output spy gobbles characters out of a tty output buffer." 2. gobble - To obtain, usually used with "down". "I guess I'll gobble down a copy of the documentation tomorrow." See also snarf. a hillside next to the DeBell Golf Course in Burbank on Tuesday. The brush fire began above Country Club Drive. No structures were destroyed. (2) ``Palm trees were burning like tiki torches,'' said Burbank fire Capt. Ron Bell of the blaze that began in Wildwood Canyon. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News (3) Freshman football player Patrick Malloy cools off with a drink of water during a break at Burroughs High School in Burbank. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer Box: HEAT WAVE SOURCE: National Weather Service Daily News Map: Site of brush fire Daily News |
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