Heat Warps Tracks; 2 Trains Derailed

Temperatures as high as 106 degrees were blamed for warping stretches of railroad track, causing two Union Pacific train derailments. The blistering heat also hampered efforts to fight grass and brush fires that charred hundreds of acres in North Texas, destroyed a home and forced the evacuation of about 100 people from rural Parker County, west of Fort Worth. The temperature in Dallas passed the century mark at noon, making it the 28th consecutive triple-digit day. The city’s high of 106 Saturday was a record for the date. On the other hand, the overnight low of 77 was the first time the city had cooled below 80 degrees since July 19. Statewide, 99 deaths have been blamed on heat-related causes, pushing the nationwide total to 155.