More than 30 million people in the US were under various heat warnings early Thursday.
“Unfortunately, the extreme heat is expected to remain until the weekend, with temperatures in some places still more than 20 degrees above average.” This heat could break records in the Pacific Northwest,” CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford said.
Parts of Washington state and Oregon, along with Texas, Oklahoma and the Carolinas, are expected to experience temperatures that climb into the 90s and triple digits in the coming days.
“Heat will continue to be the main story, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where afternoon temperatures could exceed 110 degrees in the hottest spots inland Thursday and Friday,” the Weather Prediction Center wrote. “Nights will also be unseasonably warm with possible record high minimum temperatures.”
With the Seattle and Portland metro areas expected to experience temperatures in the mid to upper 90s on Thursday and Friday, Oregon’s governor has declared a state of emergency.
“As many parts of Oregon face a severe heat wave, it is critical that every level of government has the resources they need to help Oregonians stay safe and healthy,” Gov. Kate Brown said in a news release .
Extreme heat gripping parts of the country in recent weeks has had devastating effects, including heat-related deaths and worsening wildfires in some areas.
There are two suspected heat-related deaths in Oregon as of Wednesday, the state medical examiner said in an email to CNN. The agency said the cause of death is preliminary and final confirmation could take several months.
Both Oregon and Washington state saw an increase in heat-related emergency room visits this week as the heat wave intensified.
Oregon recorded 32 visits for heat-related illnesses Monday statewide — compared to the usual range of 3 to 5 daily, according to Jonathan Mody, lead communications officer for the Oregon Health Authority’s public health division.
Heat-related EMS calls also increased in Oregon, with first responders receiving 12 calls Monday, up from five the previous day, Mody added.
Similarly, in Washington, state health data showed two days of “increased emergency room visits for heat-related illnesses in both Eastern and Western Washington,” spokesman Jess Nelson said.
The heat took its toll in other parts of the country as temperatures in some regions reached 100 degrees last week, brought on by stifling humidity.
In New York, at least two people have died of heat exposure since Saturday, according to the city medical examiner’s office. Both had underlying health problems, officials said.
In Allentown, Pennsylvania, a 73-year-old man was found dead last Thursday in a room without air conditioning, according to the medical examiner. His cause of death was heat-related and he had several underlying medical conditions, the Lehigh County Coroner told CNN. The heat index in Allentown that day reached 96 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
In Dallas, a 66-year-old woman who also had underlying health problems became the year’s first heat-related death, Dallas County health officials said last week.
And a 22-year-old hiker died of possible dehydration and exposure after running out of water in a South Dakota national park last week, officials said.
Extreme heat fuels wildfires
As unseasonably warm temperatures continue, firefighters in some areas are battling growing wildfires while dealing with hot conditions.
A wildfire in Woodward County, Oklahoma, has grown to 18,000 acres amid high temperatures, according to Matt Lechenbauer, the county’s director of emergency management.
The fire, burning northeast of the central Oklahoma town of Mooreland, prompted periodic evacuations due to fluctuating weather conditions.
“That area of flat plains plus the canyon area makes it dangerous for firefighters,” Lechenbauer told CNN on Wednesday.
Two firefighters working the blaze were hospitalized for heatstroke and others were treated at the scene, Lechenbauer said. “The problem of heat exhaustion is the biggest problem,” he added.
Rain is in the forecast, which could provide some relief, Lechenbauer noted. “Rain is really the only hope we have to deal with this fire,” he said.
Meanwhile, the massive Oak Fire raging near California’s Yosemite National Park had burned 18,824 acres with 36 percent containment as of Wednesday evening after being sparked Friday, according to Cal Fire. The flames have destroyed 100 structures in Mariposa County, fire officials said.
Samantha Beach, Amanda Moussa, Paradise Afshar, Jennifer Henderson, Andy Rose, Augie Martin, Taylor Romine and Brad Parks contributed to this report from CNN.
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