More hot weather

Today's forecast from the Forest Service:

MOSTLY SUNNY IN THE MORNING. PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE
AFTERNOON. HIGHS FROM THE 90S TO 103 AT LOW ELEVATIONS TO THE
MID TO UPPER 80S AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. LOCAL NORTHWEST TO NORTH WINDS
15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH NEAR THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR IN
THE MORNING. SOUTH TO WEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

No big surprise here.

Earlier this week one of our reporters, Alison Hewitt, had a chance to visit the Angeles National Forest to speak about the fire danger with some of their rangers. They make it sound pretty bleak:

The risk of a fire is extreme in the Angeles National Forest, north of the San Gabriel Valley, according to the USDA Forest Service.

Local Forest Service officials make twice-a-month trips into the brushy mountains to test the moisture content of the most most common plants growing there.

Test results show the plants are dry enough to burn as though they are already dead, and a fire is expected before November, said Byron Kimball, Forest Service Fuels Battalion Chief for part of the Angeles National Forest.
Officials encourage residents to be extra cautious, and avoid smoking or parking cars on top of the dry brush.

Because of the "extreme" level of fire danger, wood and charcoal fires are not allowed at campsites, and smoking is only allowed inside cars.

"There's always a possibility that we could get through the fire season without having a fire," Kimball said. "But the likelihood is we're going to have a fire before the next rain."

Only goats can save us now.