Mayor Bass, LAFD Outline City Actions to Keep Angelenos Safe Ahead of Expected High Temperatures

*This news release was originally published and distributed by the Office of Mayor Bass

Extreme Heat Watch Updated to Extreme Heat Warning for L.A. Region Starting on Thursday

LOS ANGELES (August 19, 2025) - Mayor Karen Bass, LAFD Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva and other City leaders today outlined actions City Departments are taking to protect Angelenos and keep the city safe ahead of expected high temperatures in the coming days. The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning in the Los Angeles region starting Thursday, August 21, through at least Saturday, August 23, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 108 in the San Fernando Valley. A recording of the press conference will be available here.

There are no fire weather alerts effective within the City of Los Angeles at this time. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning starting on Wednesday, August 20, for areas outside of the City of L.A., including the mountains and foothills of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.

"Ahead of potentially some of the hottest temperatures of the summer this week, LAFD and City Departments have been taking action to keep Angelenos cool and safe," said Mayor Karen Bass. "These temperatures could be dangerous, especially for our most vulnerable residents. Please stay cool, stay hydrated, check on neighbors, and know that resources are available citywide to help keep you safe."

The Mayor's Office of Public Safety continues to coordinate with the Emergency Management Department, LAFD, LAPD, Recreation and Parks, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and other City Departments to ensure all are ready to respond as needed. Angelenos are also encouraged to sign up for NotifyLA.org to receive heat and adverse weather alerts on your phone.

Opening Augmented Cooling Centers

The City of Los Angeles has hundreds of locations open for relief from the heat including Recreation and Parks facilities and local library branches. For location and hours of operation, visit laparks.org/reccenter and lapl.org/branches. Angelenos can also call 3-1-1 from within L.A. City to learn more.

The City is also opening the following augmented cooling centers, which will be open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM on the days listed below:

Wednesday, August 20 - Saturday, August 23, 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

• Canoga Park Senior Citizen Center (7326 Jordan Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91303)
• North Hollywood Senior Citizen Center (5301 Tujunga Ave. North Hollywood, CA 91601)

Thursday, August 21 - Friday, August 22, 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

• Pecan Recreation Center (145 S. Pecan St., Los Angeles, CA 90033)
• Algin Sutton Recreation Center (8800 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles, CA 90044)

The augmented cooling centers will be accessible to people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.

Pools and Splash Pads

Department of Recreation and Parks public pools and splash pads will continue to be open to the public during normal hours of operation. Click here for more information.

Los Angeles Fire Department

LAFD is closely monitoring the forecast and will be predeploying wildland handcrews, fire engines, water tankers, a dozer strike team, and other resources across the city in high-hazard areas as a precaution.

This includes Crew 4, a new LAFD team made up of 26 full-time Wildland Hand Crew Technicians. Crew 4 is trained to respond to wildfires within and around the city. They are also heavily involved in vegetation clearance and management, as well as training to augment LAFD's response to all-hazard incidents such as debris flows and technical rescues.

For months, LAFD has been actively conducting brush inspections and brush clearance. As of June 30th, LAFD has completed all of its initial brush clearance inspections for 2025 - more than 150,000 inspections across the city. LAFD is also working to ensure all fire roads are maintained.

Residents can sign up for LAFD alerts HERE.

Safety Tips For Angelenos To Avoid Heat Injury:

• Seek shade and refuge from the hot sun if you need to be outside.
• Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water - especially if you drink coffee or soda.
• Check in on and prepare your household, family, friends, pets and workplace.
• Limit your exposure to direct sunlight between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, when the sun's rays are strongest.
• If you feel ill, tell someone immediately. Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include dizziness, fatigue, faintness, muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting and headache.
• Symptoms of heat stroke include:
  • High body temperature (103°F or higher)
  • Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
  • Fast, strong pulse
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Confusion
  • Loss of consciousness (passing out)
• In the event of a heat stroke:
  • Call 911 right away - heat stroke is a medical emergency
  • Move the person to a cooler place
  • Help lower the person's temperature with cool cloths or a cool bath
  • Do not give the person anything to drink
• Listen to your body and remember that those with chronic illness such as asthma, heart disease etc., are more vulnerable to extreme heat. Please take extra precautions.
• Click here for safety tips in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Armenian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and more.

Protecting Pets From Extreme Heat:

In preparation for extreme heat, the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services offers these tips to keep your animals safe:

• Never leave your pet alone inside a vehicle. A car can overheat even when a window has been slightly opened. Always make sure your pet has plenty of fresh water to drink.
• Keep pets indoors (if possible) during hot weather. If they are outside, ensure they have adequate shade to escape the sun and plenty of fresh water nearby.
• Avoid walking pets during the warmest parts of the day (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM).
• Avoid hot surfaces. Touch the ground first before venturing out. If the surface is too hot to touch with your hand or bare feet, it's too hot for your pet's paws.
• For more hot weather pet safety tips, visit LAAnimalServices.com/hot-weather-tips.

Protecting Unhoused Angelenos

LAHSA has begun conducting outreach to inform Angelenos of the extreme heat and provide them with heat safety information, cooling center locations, water bottles, and other supplies - especially in the San Fernando Valley. Outreach across the city will continue throughout this week and into the weekend.

In addition, LAHSA has activated hotel vouchers across the City of L.A. to bring people experiencing homelessness indoors. These are distributed through the LAHSA outreach teams.

Climate stations that provide cold beverages, seating, shade, and more are open in Skid Row for Angelenos to stay cool. Stations are operating at:

• Towne St. (between 5th St. & 6th St.) across the street from the ReFresh Spot
• San Pedro St., mid-block between 6th St. & 7th St.
• 5th and Maple

The ReFresh Spot located at 544 Towne Avenue is also open and provides the Skid Row community access to drinking water, restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities. The ReFresh Spot is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to anyone in the community, free of charge.

Conserving Energy While Staying Cool

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) reminds Angelenos to conserve energy use where possible as demand for electricity may increase as customers run air conditioners. LADWP recommends the following to conserve electricity safely while helping reduce any potential strain on neighborhood electrical infrastructure:

• Adjust air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees. If you are away from your home and do not have pets inside, turn off the air conditioning system.
• Limit the use of major appliances such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and dishwashers to before 4:00 PM or after 9:00 PM.
• Ventilate your home in the early morning and evening by opening windows and doors to clear out the heat and allow cooler air to circulate. Close curtains, shades or blinds during warmer hours to reduce heat from direct sunlight.
• Turn off lights and other electrical equipment when not in use.
• Unplug energy vampires like cellphone and computer chargers, and other appliances that use energy when not in use.
• Avoid using the stove and oven if possible, which can help keep indoor temperatures down.

In the event of a power outage:

• Report power outages at www.ladwp.com/outages or by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397).
• LADWP customers can sign up to receive outage alerts via text or email at www.ladwp.com/outagealert.
• LADWP also shares updates on outage restoration progress to affected communities via NextDoor.com.

To find out more about LADWP's rebates and programs, click here.