More than two dozen people were rescued Saturday in a record heat wave as temperatures rose to the 90s in parts of Southern California.
In Orange County, at least 15 people were rescued due to heat-related issues, according to Orange County Fire Department Captain Thanh Nguyen.
Nguyen said that included a group of 11 people in distress who were rescued from a trail on the unsettled Newport Coast. He said two people were transported to local hospitals and five were evaluated, but further assistance dropped, and four people experienced exhaustion.
At Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in San Joaquin Hills, four hikers were rescued as temperatures soared to 96 degrees. Nguyen said three of the hikers were affected by the heat, including one who flew from the area.
“Unless you've been trained with calories and tough terrain, we strongly encourage everyone to wait until it cools down,” Nguyen said.
Another woman affected by heat was rescued in Anaheim near Highway 91. Firefighters also rescued a woman from Crystal Bay State Park in Newport Beach, Nguyen said. It is not clear whether she was also affected by the heat.
In Riverside County, nine people were rescued in a heat-related incident.
According to Calfire/Riverside County Fire Department, the rescue took place in the non-individual areas of Temecula, Palm Desert, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, La Quinta and Lake Elsinore, according to the Calfire/Riverside County Fire Department. A dehydrated hiker was rescued on the Big Bear Canyon Ring and Ortega Expressway on Saturday afternoon, with temperatures reaching 99 degrees. The hiker was airlifted from the area and transported to a local hospital by ambulance, according to officials.
In Los Angeles, a heat-depleted hiker airlifted from the Hollywood Hills Saturday morning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Griffith Park rangers informed law enforcement about law enforcement officers near the Cahuenga Peak trail between the Hollywood sign and the Wisdom Tree. LAFD Public Service Officer Lyndsey Lantz said the woman was taken to a local hospital after assessing her condition.
According to the National Weather Service, the heat wave is expected to drop on Sunday and replace the gray sky early next week.
