Another heat wave expected to hit region, hindering Kern County fire fight

Another unseasonable heat wave was expected to hit Southern California early this week, complicating efforts to contain the massive wildfire raging in Kern County, forecasters said.

Temperatures were expected to start rising across the region on Sunday, caused by a high pressure system coming in from the east, and remain above normal through Wednesday, said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

This week’s heat wave was expected to be about 5 to 10 degrees milder than last week’s record-shattering one, with temperatures mostly in the 90s and topping 100 in valley areas.

Kern County, where the 36,000-acre Erskine fire is threatening thousands of homes, was also expected to see above-normal temperatures with highs around 100 degrees into Tuesday. Areas surrounding Lake Isabella, which is at a higher altitude, should see highs in the mid-90s, said Carlos Molina, a NWS meteorologist in Hanford.

“With those temperatures, there’s not a lot of humidity to work with,” Molina said. “Conditions up there are dry right now. It’s favorable for the fire to continue growing at this rate.”

Molina said the conditions would likely persist throughout the week.

Further complicating matters, Molina said, if moisture from a monsoon currently in Arizona reaches to Kern County, it could potentially cause thunderstorms and lightning that may spark additional fires.

Munroe said the moisture may cause the heat across the region to feel even warmer.

Forecasters said the heat was expected to let up after Wednesday, dropping about 10 degrees by the holiday weekend.