Preparing for extreme heat

Developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and launched this year, CalHeatScore provides locally tailored guidance to help reduce heat-related illness and save lives. Each day, every California ZIP code receives a score from 0 to 4 on an easy-to-understand scale that communicates heightened risk of heat illness. 

CalHeatScore also links to practical resources, including cooling centers, so people can prepare before dangerous conditions set in.

Individuals, families, communities, policymakers and researchers can use CalHeatScore to:

• Check daily heat updates and rankings.
• Access heat safety tips.
• Find local resources like cooling centers.
• Share their experience using CalHeatScore.

CalHeatScore works by combining historical climate, forecasted weather and health data to score heat events by intensity and health impact. User feedback will inform future improvements.

The state’s Department of Industrial Relations issued a high-heat advisory in English and Spanish reminding employers to protect workers as temperatures in parts of California are forecast to reach up to 113°F, including in Redding, Sacramento, Stockton, Pleasanton, Modesto, Fresno, Bakersfield, Palmdale, Imperial, and Coachella. 

Taking steps to protect workers from extreme temperatures, from May 1 through August 13, 2025, Cal/OSHA’s Enforcement Branch conducted 219 targeted high-heat inspection sweeps in agriculture, construction, and other outdoor industries to protect vulnerable workers. Additionally, Cal/OSHA’s High Heat Consultation Unit visited 308 worksites since May 2, 2025, reaching 10,761 employees with heat illness prevention information. 

Ready for wildfire

Yesterday, the Governor pre-deployed resources to Southern California, in Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Bernardino Counties. A total of 32 fire engines, nine water tenders, nine bulldozers, five helicopters, nine hand crews, 13 dispatchers, and two Incident Management Teams are pre-deployed across five counties. These efforts ensure that resources are ready to respond quickly, minimizing the potential impact of new fires. This proactive approach has proven to be a critical component of California’s wildfire response strategy, reducing response times and containing fires before they escalate into major incidents.

In addition to resources pre-deployed by Cal OES, CAL FIRE remains ready to respond to new incidents statewide.

Residents are urged to stay vigilant during this heightened heat and fire weather period. Californians are reminded to:

In recent years, Governor Newsom, the legislature and state fire officials have supercharged California’s firefighting response and prevention efforts to match the new climate realities.