RAMONA, Calif. — The heat is just starting to warm up and temperatures are expected to peak on Wednesday with records forecasted in San Diego's inland valleys.
A Red Flag Warning expired on Tuesday at 5 p.m. but Cal Fire still warns with the extreme heat there is still a fire danger.
“We have that wind component dying down but it's still going to be hot. The fuels are at critically dry levels so we are certainly not at the finish line here,” said Captain Thomas Shoots, Cal Fire San Diego.
Local Cal Fire has five strike teams deployed in Northern California to assist in the massive wildfires but says there are enough resources here to respond.
“We are dispatching at high levels which means we are sending a lot of resources at the initial dispatch to make sure that we have plenty of equipment and personnel there to keep fires small,” said Shoots.
In Ramona, where it’s expected to reach records temps on Wednesday, animals at Saving Animals and Healing Hearts are working to keep cool.
“When they overheat we have to cool buckets of water and towels around them and slowly cool them down,” said Teri Crutchfield, the animal sanctuary's founder.
There are 38 pigs at the sanctuary and swine don’t sweat so they can easily overheat and possibly die.
She said during COVID-19 donations are down but they managed to raise just enough to install misters. However, to run misters, water for pools and mud puddles has been costly.
“Oh my gosh, my water bill jumped over $700. I was like 'ahhhh,'” said Crutchfield.
The National Weather Service extended a heat advisory in the inland valleys until Friday. Temperatures are forecast to peak on Wednesday including in Ramona where it reached a near-record of 101 degrees on Tuesday (102 is the record for September 29).
Palomar College student Michael Baldauf who lives in Ramona said he is keeping cool and saw the signs SDG&E posted along SR-67 warning customers of possible public safety power shutoffs this week because of Santa Ana winds.
“I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we won't lose power at all,” said Baldauf.
SDG&E canceled the shutoffs to the 700 backcountry residents and encourages conservation during the extreme heat.
“Living out in East County you just have to be prepared for the worst,” said Baldauf.
The heat advisory on the coast and beaches expires on Thursday.