4 hikers die in Arizona as record-breaking heat scorches southwestern US

By Jordan Root, Meteorologist

June 20,2016; 7:55PM,EDT

 

 

Heat will continue to plague the southwestern United States early this week after a brutal weekend that led to at least four deaths.
Four hikers died in separate incidents in Arizona where temperatures soared to record levels in some areas. One man is still unaccounted for in Ventana Canyon in Pima County, near Tucson.
Firefighters from the Lompoc City Fire Department take shelter behind their engine Thursday, June 16, 2016, as wind-driven flames advance from the Sherpa Fire. The flames were crossing Calle Real near El Capitan State Park in Santa Barbara County. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)
Pima County police issued a statement encouraging people to limit physical activities during "extreme temperatures."
The heat also led to some travel delays. Minutes before landing in Phoenix on Sunday, a Mesa Airlines flight was forced to turn back to its departure point in Houston due to the heat.
Phoenix broke a daily record and recorded its fifth highest all-time temperature on Sunday, hitting 118 degrees Fahrenheit.
Extreme heat can affect airline equipment, making for unsafe landing conditions.
Firefighters continued to battle raging wildfires in eight states throughout the region over the weekend.
"The exceptionally hot and dry weather will continue to keep the fire threat elevated," AccuWeather Meteorologist Carl Erickson said.
While winds on a large scale have not been overly strong, localized wind events are exacerbating some of the fires, including the Sherpa Fire west of Santa Barbara, California.

The Sherpa Fire has burned more than 7,800 acres and just over 50 percent of the perimeter is contained. Nearly 2,000 personnel are working to put out the blaze, according to InciWeb.
The fire burned a water treatment building at El Capitan state beach and damaged avocado, lemon and olive crops, according to the LA Times.
Periods of sundowner winds could create even more hazardous conditions. Sundowner winds are caused by a north to south movement of air from the mountains to the coast. This causes the air to warm and become drier and often leads to gustier winds.
Two additional fires, the Fish Fire and Reservoir Fire, were burning near Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Fire Department reported that the Fish Fire had burned over 2,000 acres and was zero percent contained as of Monday evening. The Reservoir Fire had burned 1,200 acres and was also zero percent contained.
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The winds are often channeled through passes which can lead to strengthening. All of these factors can fuel wildfires and make them larger.
In New Mexico, the Dog Head Fire, located southeast of Albuquerque, continues to burn. This fire has destroyed 24 homes and 21 other minor structures. It remains at nine percent containment, according to InciWeb.
The ridge of high pressure will continue to push the storm track across Canada and the far northern tier of the United States, keeping any widespread rainfall from dropping southward.
Though the heat will ease slightly toward the end of the week, dry weather will continue to raise the wildfire threat.
Content contributed by AccuWeather Staff Writer Katy Galimberti.