Severe heat wave causes dangerous conditions across California amid pandemic

The thermometer at Calvary Church in Woodland Hills registers 116 degrees Fahrenheit.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

The Holser Fire burns through the night just east of Lake Piru, where actress Naya Rivera died in mid-July.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Lifeguard Michael Alfaro, wearing protective gear, works with 5-year-old Kaila Holliday during a swim lesson at Marie Kerr Pool in Palmdale.  (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

After a day at the beach, Sebastian Grand, 11, left, Leo Grand, 13, and Constantin Condraschi, 12, of Orange County have pizza at a Slice of New York Pizza in Seal Beach.   (Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times)

L.A. Rams rookie outside linebacker Terrell Lewis towels away sweat as temperatures soar at the Rams training facility in Thousand Oaks.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Jose Vasquez, left, and Jordan Taylor play a pickup basketball game at Sgt. Steve Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster.  (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Benjamin Cole II shows son Barreth Cole, 5, a routine while joining members of Barry’s Bootcamp as they conduct a workout session at the Watts Empowerment Center.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Jon Galapago takes a break from the heat in a hammock during a day of fishing at Lake Evans in Riverside.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Watts residents pick out clothing during the Children Mending Hearts weekly food and clothing giveaway at the Watts Empowerment Center.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The Original Snake Doctor, left, and Louis Benton play a game of chess in Leimert Park.  (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Victor Eddie Chavez, 9, and Evangeline Benitez, 3, run through a fountain’s spouts at Hollywood & Highland.   (Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times)

Matthew Giron, 8, frolics with friends and family near a drainage pipe along the San Gabriel River.   (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

A funnel appears in a thick plume of smoke from the Loyalton fire in Lassen County, Calif., on Aug. 15.  (Katelynn & Jordan Hewlett via Associated Press)

Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on Aug. 16. Numerous lightning strikes sparked brush fires throughout the region.  (Noah Berger / Associated Press
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Firefighters prepare to defend a home as flames from the River fire approach in Salinas on Aug. 17.  (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

A chimney stands amid the rubble of a home destroyed in the River fire.  (Noah Berger / Associated Press )

Don and Sally Joaquin watch for lightning strikes on Aug. 16 in unincorporated Contra Costa County.  (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

Friends and family rollick in a drainage pipe along the San Gabriel River.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

People head to the beach in Venice amid the heat.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Liz Saul reads a novel on her iPad in the comfort of an air mattress in Venice.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Beachgoers create a forest of umbrellas on the beach at Santa Monica.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Windsurfers sail off Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

People escape the heat at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

An employee of a hot dog stand works inside the eatery along the boardwalk in Santa Monica.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Jacob Debreceni, 16, with friends Ismael Fuentes, left, and Kevin Lemus, cools off with the help of a backyard waterslide in Mira Loma, Calif.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Tropical moisture moving onshore northwest of Santa Barbara on Aug. 15 brought lightning strikes but also rainbows.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

A cool breeze propels windsurfers across the shimmering waters off Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

A paddle boarder chooses a rental board at Bayshore Beach in Long Beach.   (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

DeAndre Michaels dips his toes in a fountain in Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles.   (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

At the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley, Mike Garcia of Norco and his children Jose, 7, and Monica, 10, employ multiple stay-cool techniques.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The Telles family of the San Fernando Valley enjoys the water of the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The scene at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on Aug. 14, where a cooling breeze kept the shore comfortable.   (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

At Woodley Park in Van Nuys, Blanca Celaya of Winnetka and her family enjoy the shade. She holds her 3-month-old son, Jason Celaya. Beyond are her daughter Celia Barinese and husband, Jaime Paiz.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Pedestrians pass a Black Lives Matter mural in Hollywood.
  (Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times)