San Diego schools close early as excessive heat wave bears down

SAN DIEGO -- Dozens of schools in San Diego County will be placed on minimum-day schedules on Tuesday due to high temperatures, CBS San Diego affiliate KFMB-TV reports.

The county is under excessive heat and red flag warnings this week, and students from 85 San Diego Unified School District will be heading home early Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures are forecast to reach 90 degrees along the coast and 100 degrees further inland.

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Excessive heat warnings for coastal and valley areas are in effect from 10 a.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday, the U.S. National Weather Service said. High winds and the heat wave were expected to create conditions that would spread wildfires.

"Dealing with high temperatures and low humidity is nothing new to us, but the big factor is we're in a red flag fire danger which adds the element of winds, the Santa Ana winds," Cal Fire Capt. Kendal Bortisser told KFMB-TV.

The department has been busy up north with wildfires this month and they're now back in San Diego should a major fire breakout. On Saturday, firefighters contained a wind-driven fire in Campo to 100 acres, the department said.

"If you have 10 minutes and you face the potential of never to coming back to that house, 'what items would you want to take with you?'" Bortisser said. "Sit down with your family, talk about that. Where are those things located? What are we taking? How are we getting out? Where are we going? How are we communicating?"

Some of the schools placed on minimum day schedules include Alcott Elementary, Baker Elementary, Balboa Elementary, Barnard Asian Pacific Language Academy, Bay Park Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary, Birney Elementary and Cabrillo Elementary.

Visit KFMB-TV for the entire list of school closings.

In:
• Cal Fire
• San Diego
• California