Heat waves can kill. Californians urged to ‘stay cool, stay hydrated’ — and not start fires

A heat wave in 2006 killed an estimated 140 Californians.

Sixteen years later, with record temperatures bearing down on California, top state officials begged residents Saturday to find ways to keep cool during the Labor Day weekend, not overly stress themselves in the heat and avoid doing anything that could spark a fire.

“Stay cool. Stay hydrated. Stay connected. Stay informed,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the state Department of Public Health, said during a briefing at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services headquarters east of Sacramento.

Even a simple hike in the woods could prove dangerous in the extreme heat, and Aragon urged hikers to take a companion with them for safety’s sake. “If you don’t have somebody with you, you won’t have help,” he said.

With two significant new wildfires burning in Siskiyou County, firefighter crews were being dispatched to 18 fire-prone counties in preparation for possible new ignitions, said Mark Ghilarducci, director of Cal OES. But he and others said Californians must be careful when barbecuing or doing other activities that could create a new disaster.

So far this year, California has enjoyed a comparatively mild wildfire season. Chris Anthony, Cal Fire’s chief deputy director, said California has lost 232,000 acres to wildfire this year — about one-tenth the damage done this time last year.

But luck could run out quickly. Temperatures approaching 115 degrees are drying out vegetation and leaving much of California’s drought-ridden landscape highly vulnerable.

“Just a chain dragging behind a trailer can easily start a fire,” Anthony said.

Natalie Palugyai, secretary of California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, warned employers to take care of their workers. “We’re mostly concerned with our outdoor workers and our vulnerable workers,” including farm workers and landscapers.

She said workers must be offered “cool and free water,” at least one quart per hour. They also have to be allowed to take breaks “whenever they feel that they need them,” she said.

This story was originally published September 3, 2022 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Heat waves can kill. Californians urged to ‘stay cool, stay hydrated’ — and not start fires."