TINA PATEL:
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And in fact, this is video from that woman's neighborhood just off Hasley Canyon. There was a point where the fire started to go over the ridge. But fortunately, there were a number of firefighters right in that neighborhood station. They immediately hiked up, and they were able to get some water. And the smoke kind of dissipated, and we didn't see any flames after that. So as we come back out here live, a lot of progress being made. But here is the problem that Amber was just talking about. It is still very hot. We're expecting another triple digits today. It is also very dry, and there is a possibility that even though it's calm right now, the winds could pick up as the day goes on. And that's why firefighters say these mandatory evacuation orders are going to stay in place for now. They want to see how the conditions are as the day goes on. If they start to get more containment, then maybe they can lift some of those. But they say right now, it's just not safe to do that. We'll send it back to you. Zoe and I was just talking about seeing that fire burning there, just how devastating that's going to be for anyone who lives near the area, knowing at some point, you just have to get out. I mean, if you have an evacuation order in place, listen to it. It's not worth potentially risking your own life if you want to stay home. It's scary and it's dry and it's hot and it's windy, and all those things in combination is the reason that fire danger is so high this time of year. And the heat is very high as well. You can see these pockets of heat that are building, and that is also exacerbating that fire danger. You can see all of the widespread wildfire smoke that continues to pour across the desert Southwest. And this is actually getting trapped underneath that heat dome. So that's why the air quality is really not great across the desert southwest and especially far southern California, where both the Gifford and the Canyon fire, both less than 15%, if not 0% contained. And again, we are going to continue to track all of that smoke over the next several hours, if not several days, as the heat continues to build. The heat is also going to be an issue as again, it's the hot and dry weather that creates fire danger. So let's break down the details on the heat and exactly what we're going to be seeing and how much longer it's going to last because yesterday, Phoenix, Arizona-- that's how you know it's hot-- when Phoenix is breaking records. They got to up to 118 degrees yesterday. That was the hottest all-time August high temperature. They have gotten hotter in the months of June and July. They've gotten 122. But still, the month of August, not normally this hot. They're going to see those triple digit high temperatures through the rest of the weekend but slightly cooler than those 118s. The central part of the country dealing with the heat and the humidity with those heat indices from Texas all the way up to Minnesota, feeling like you're at over 100 degrees. And unfortunately, when it comes to the heat, also fueling the chance for severe thunderstorms. So, good and bad news when it comes to this, Mugo. The good news is the storms are going to cool down those temperatures across the midwest. The bad news is that those storms come overnight tonight and into very early tomorrow morning. A lot of people are going to be asleep. So keep your alerts on loud, especially if you live up in Minnesota. That's where the bull's eye of the severe weather will be. Yeah, make sure you're paying attention. On Phoenix, I'm glad you said that it gets hotter than that because I lived in Phoenix for 10 years. And it-- Yeah, I was about to say. 122 is the record all-time high temperature, but June and July are the hottest months in Phoenix, actually. So August is normally not this hot. Ah. A fun fact for you. Thank you, Zoe. I learned something new.
