WINDS BRING RECORD HEAT.

Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer

The first hot Santa Ana winds of fall broke Simi Valley's temperature record Wednesday, tied those in Burbank and downtown Los Angeles and pushed firefighters into high alert for wildfires.

Triple-digit temperatures are expected to continue in the San Fernando Valley and across Los Angeles until at least Friday, forecasters said.

And firefighters issued a ``red flag'' warning because of the high temperatures, low humidity and winds that gusted to 40 mph in the West Valley.

``Wind is king when we talk about fire weather,'' said Los Angeles Fire Battalion Chief Tim Manning. All hillsides around the Valley were in ``an extreme danger category, making for the perfect setting for brush fires,'' he said.

Burbank tied its 1980 high of 103 for the day; Simi Valley hit 101, breaking the 100-degree mark set in 1978; and Pasadena reached 104, smashing its record of 102 set in 1963, according to the National Weather Service.

Woodland Hills, typically the hottest place in the Valley, reached only 100 - still more than the 99 in Death Valley, forecasters said.

The temperature in downtown Los Angeles hit 102, tying the record set for that day in 1963, forecasters said.

As the sun moved up over the hills and pushed temperatures near 100 in most of the Valley, there were reports of 15 mph ``devil winds'' and gusts as high as 40 mph in the West Valley and canyons, according to fire officials.

Santa Ana winds occur when a high pressure system builds over the desert, squeezing and heating the air mass and sending it whistling through canyons into Los Angeles.

The winds also kept out the cool coastal air and reduced relative humidity to 10 to 15 percent, compared with 53 percent Tuesday.

Los Angeles city and county firefighters sent additional fire engines and crews to high-risk brush-fire areas, including Sunland, Woodland Hills, Porter Ranch, the Sepulveda Pass, Agoura Hills and Calabasas.

City firefighters deployed eight more fire engine companies with 32 firefighters, and the county called on an extra five engines with 20 men and 20 fire camp crews to be on full alert through today.

By staging firefighters in high-risk areas, they can react quickly, stemming a small wildfire from growing, Manning said.

Alan Emerson, who leads ArsonWatch, a group of volunteers that patrols the Santa Monica Mountains, said the the hot, dry conditions Wednesday were scary.

``The combination of hot, shifting winds and all the extra dry brush left behind by El Nino is like waiting for a brush fire to start,'' Emerson said.

The ``devil winds'' are expected to subside by Friday, when cool coastal winds will once again move over the Los Angeles Basin, bringing back normal humidity and cooler weather, according to Curt Kaplan, a public service officer with the National Weather Service.

The bad news, Kaplan said, is that the ocean breeze Friday will bring with it all the bad air that was pushed out over the sea by the hot winds, restoring the thick smog belt that is a Los Angeles trademark.

But while the pristine Valley views might be pleasing to the eye, medical experts say the hot, windy conditions are a nightmare for those with allergies.

``This is probably the worst part of the year for allergies,'' said Dr. Jonathan Corren, co-director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Nasal and Sinus Disease Center.

``Allergens tend to become more easily airborne when it's hot,'' he said. ``That, combined with the strong winds, add up to allergens being fired at people at high speeds, along with irritating dirt and dust. Right now there's also a lot of pollen from plants like sage and Chinese elm in the air, which commonly trigger allergic reactions.''

He recommended that those with allergies stay indoors during the worst hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and take prescription antihistamines, which he said are usually the most effective with the least side effects.

On a positive note, the cooler-than-normal air temperatures associated with La Nina have contributed to one of the best years for air quality in the Southland, air experts said.

If the current trend continues, 1999 will go on the books as the first Oct. 1-Sept. 30 period without a smog alert in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: (Color) ArsonWatch volunteer John Lajvort surveys the Topanga Canyon area, the site of the 1993 fire storm that burned much of Malibu.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

Chart: RECORD DAY

SOURCE: National Weather Service