Southern California sizzles on in triple-digit heat

Southern California endured Day 3 of the first major heat wave of the year, with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees in many valley areas.

Another scorcher is expected Saturday before temperatures slowly begin to cool Sunday, officials said.

Despite the high temperatures, Southern California Edison officials reported today they expect to get through the heat wave with no interruptions in service

Air quality officials said conditions in the San Gabriel Valley would be unhealthful.

Jessica Pak waked out of the air-conditioned confines of a fast-food restaurant onto Brand Avenue in Glendale, slumped her shoulders and announced to her friends, “Oh my God, it’s so hot!”

This was the first day of the 16-year-old’s summer break and she was already dreading the weather.

“I hate this weather,” she said. “It’s like end-of-the-world hot. I don’t remember it ever being this hot this early in summer.”

Her friend, Lisa Baroutgian, had a more rosy view.

“But we can go pool-hopping,” said Baroutgian, 15. “We can slip ‘n’ slide. Go to the beach. Lose a lot of weight.”

For now, they had to settle on shopping, moving from one cool store to the other.

“It’s too hot to even go to the Americana” mall, Pak said. “They should have made it indoors.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed the state Office of Emergency Services to be on standby for extremely high temperatures through the weekend and asked people to look after their neighbors.

On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued an excessive-heat warning for temperatures of 105 degrees and above for most Los Angeles County valleys and mountains and for the Ventura County mountains today. The relative humidity in most valley areas was forecast to be only 10% to 15% and in single digits in the deserts.

“It’s a fairly dry heat, but temperatures are so warm that it becomes dangerous to the human body to have extended exposure to it,” said Todd Hall, senior forecaster for the National Weather Service. “Try to stay cool, stay out of the sun. If you’re outside, try to work in the shade. Exercise in the early morning or evening. Drink plenty of fluids and make sure to keep in touch with friends and neighbors, especially the elderly.”

Forecasters posted red-flag warnings for fire danger until Saturday night due to the low humidity and wind conditions in some areas. And unhealthy air quality was reported in the Santa Clarita Valley and the eastern San Gabriel Valley.

Los Angeles County opened 42 daytime cooling centers for seniors and urged people to stay indoors with air conditioning.

Meanwhile, energy use among Los Angeles city residents and businesses spiked to 5,854 megawatts about 4 p.m. Thursday, the highest June load on record, the city’s Department of Water and Power reported. The previous record was 5,531 megawatts in 2006. The all-time peak demand is 6,165, and today’s demand might approach that record, said spokesman Joe Ramallo.

The agency reported outages that affected about 2,000 customers Thursday, including in Northridge, Wilmington and Eagle Rock.

A temperature record was set Thursday in Woodland Hills at 109 degrees, and Oxnard tied its record of 88. Today, Palm Springs had the highest temperature in the state at 114.

In Ventura, a brush fire that broke out at 11 a.m. Thursday and scorched 25 acres near City Hall downtown was 80% contained and was expected to be fully contained by evening. No buildings were reported as threatened.

In eastern San Bernardino County, a 77-year-old Arizona woman died and her husband remained hospitalized after they wandered from their car in 116-degree heat Monday near Parker Dam, officials said today.

Joyce Sanders of Oracle was found by a passerby shortly before 7 p.m. Monday at the foot of a hill near Black Meadow Landing Road beside her husband, Virgil Sanders, 89, said county Sheriff’s Sgt. Tim Smith. She was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

Virgil Sanders was flown to a hospital in Phoenix, where he was treated for second- and third-degree burns, and was listed in critical condition, Smith said.

Investigators were still trying to determine why the couple were on the isolated stretch of road and why they failed to return to the car, Smith said. Virgil Sanders initially left the car to relieve himself nearby, Smith said. The couple were found about 80 feet from their 2003 Ford Taurus, which was not low on gas, Smith said.

It was not clear if they had a cellphone, he said. They were not registered at the nearby Black Meadow Landing Resort, he said.

Smith urged drivers to plan for the triple-digit heat. “If you’re going to be in a vehicle, make sure you carry lots of water and you don’t get below half a tank of gas in the desert areas. Carry a cellphone and let people know where you’re going,” Smith said, directing his advice to elderly drivers in particular. “It doesn’t take long in those conditions with these people’s ages to get in serious trouble.”

Lance Haman polished off lunch at a table under an umbrella outside Whole Foods in Glendale and decided he had enough of the outdoors.

“You just can’t do anything,” said Haman, 40. “I don’t feel like exercising or even walking.”

It wasn’t like he wasn’t prepared for the heat today. He wore cargo shorts, a T-shirt and a baseball cap to block the sun.

“You know, this weather makes me want to drink beer,” he said. “I think I’ll go to Santa Monica.”

David.pierson@latimes.com