Sizzle Is Here to Stay : Utilities, Farmers, Pet Owners Sweat Forecast of Continuing Heat Wave

As searing heat persists for the sixth straight day today with no relief in sight, the electric company is straining to meet demand, farmers are frantically watering and air conditioning repair companies are stretching their waiting lists.

So many air conditioners were purring Monday that they created a near record demand for power and overburdened electrical transformers, causing scattered outages throughout the day and forcing the Southern California Edison Co. to place repair crews on standby.

“Everybody turned on the air conditioners on at the same time,” said Edison spokesman Criss Brown. At 3 p.m. Monday, the Edison system reached a peak power demand of 17,166 megawatts, unpleasantly close to the 18,413 megawatt record set Aug. 17, 1992, he said.

Since 4 p.m. Sunday, 40 transformers had failed in Orange County, causing 400 homes to lose power for up to four hours while Edison made repairs.

The inaugural heat wave also prompted many people to turn on air conditioners for the first time in months, only to find that they needed repair. When they called air conditioning firms for help, they often learned that they could be put on a fast-growing waiting list for service later this week.

“Everybody wants (service) right away, but everybody is booked up right now,” said Russ Bushman at B&P; Services in Costa Mesa.

Some callers displayed creativity, said Gordon Graham, co-owner of Graham Brothers in Costa Mesa. “You would be surprised how many people have elderly parents or grandmothers coming home from the hospital who need air conditioning,” he said.

Meteorologists on Monday could foresee no end to the unseasonably hot weather, which they said is more typical in the late summer with the coming of the Santa Ana winds. Temperatures reached 95 degrees in El Toro on Monday, meteorologist Curtis Brack said, a little cooler than over the weekend because of a high cloud layer.

“This is a slight reprieve,” Brack said. “But we are looking for things to warm up three to four degrees in most places (today) and one or two degrees more the next day.” He said that although there may be a slight cooling by the weekend, “there is no major sign of this high pressure system breaking down.”

The good news is that the hot air was relatively clean.

“Orange County is about the only area in the South Coast Air Basin that is not choking on smog,” said Sam Atwood, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. While a first-stage smog alert was called in Los Angeles County, air quality in Orange County on Monday was rated “good to moderate,” he said.

People flocked to the coast to enjoy the sea breezes, said Lt. John Blauer, lifeguard watch commander at Newport Beach, which had 85,000 people Monday.

But because of the heat, “people are spending more time in the water and are more apt to tire themselves out,” he said. And that, combined with riptides, required lifeguards to make between 20 and 30 rescues Monday, he said.

While soaring temperatures prompted most to take it easy, it added to the work of Orange County farmers, several of whom have drastically stepped up irrigation to protect heat- and sun-sensitive crops such as green peppers, tomatoes and strawberries.

“We have been keeping the water running around our fields 24 hours a day since Friday,” said Alan Reynolds, general manager for Treasure Farms, which cultivates 1,200 acres in Irvine.

The heat also can pose a menace to pets, warned Dr. Richard Evans, chief of veterinary services for the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Evans said people who pick up stray dogs and cats sometimes put them in unventilated boxes that they stash in the back seats or trunks of their cars before driving sometimes long distances to the county animal shelter in Orange.

The result, he said, is that the animals arrive suffering from heat stroke.

Hot Stuff

Orange County’s June weather usually hovers between 73 and 75 degrees. While no records were broken, the past week has been unseasonably warm, and no relief is anticipated for the next several days.

Santa Ana temperatures for June 27:

Temperature

This year: 88

Season norm: 75

Last year: 78

Record (in 1990): 101

Other Hot Spots

Monday:

Temperature

El Toro: 95

Anaheim: 89

Dana Point: 82

Newport Beach: 74

BEATING THE HEAT

The elderly and young are especially susceptible to heat-related problems, but people of all ages should take steps to avoid them:

Limit activity: Peak heat hours are 2 p.m.-5 p.m.; exercise or work outside early in the morning or late in the day.

Avoid hot spots: Surfaces such as asphalt tend to absorb heat.

Get acclimated: Problems can occur during the first days of a heat wave if you don’t reduce normal physical activity.

Be aware: At the first signs of fatigue or lightheadedness, find a cool spot, drink water and rest.

Avoid dehydration: Drink a variety of noncaffeinated beverages.

Limit or avoid alcohol: Alcohol depletes body fluids and speeds dehydration.

Remain cool: Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. Remember children and pets: Never leave them in a car during hot weather. The inside of a closed car can reach 130 degrees in 30 minutes.

Sources: Weather Data Inc., Orange County Health Care Agency, Times reports