More than 30 million people across the Western United States found themselves under extreme weather alerts on Sunday, August 24, 2025, as a relentless heat wave continued to bake the region. From the desert Southwest to the Pacific Northwest, excessive heat warnings and watches extended across parts of California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona, with temperatures soaring well into the triple digits and breaking records in multiple cities, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
In Phoenix, forecasters predicted a blistering high of 111 degrees Fahrenheit, while Tucson was not far behind at 108 degrees. The NWS in Phoenix warned, “Without A/C or cooling, the body can’t recover, increasing the risk of heat illness.” Even as night fell, the heat offered little respite—overnight lows in the Phoenix metro area lingered in the 90s, and the agency noted that “numerous nighttime temperature records are likely.” Officials urged residents to stay indoors, seek air-conditioned spaces, and drink plenty of water. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management advised, “Check the weather before heading out. Check on kids, older adults, pets, and livestock.”
The Pacific Northwest, a region more accustomed to mild summers, faced several days of unusual and stifling heat. The National Weather Service in Seattle predicted a “prolonged period of warm temperatures… into at least early next week,” with temperatures threatening daily records. On Friday, August 22, the Seattle-Tacoma Airport tied its daily all-time high, while Portland set a new daily record at 102 degrees, shattering the previous mark of 98 degrees set back in 1942. The Portland Weather Service office warned of “minimal relief” even at night, and the city remained under an extreme heat warning through Tuesday morning.
The punishing conditions had real consequences for those braving the outdoors. During Portland’s Hood to Coast relay, a long-distance running event, at least one participant, David Loftus, was hospitalized after losing consciousness. The Associated Press reported that Loftus recovered after being held overnight for observation, a stark reminder of the dangers posed by the heat, especially for athletes and outdoor workers.
California, meanwhile, faced a double threat: record-breaking heat and a heightened risk of wildfires. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles issued warnings for “dangerously hot daytime conditions with high temperatures of 95 to 105 degrees,” cautioning that the warmth would persist overnight. The agency’s advisory, issued at 3 a.m. Sunday, emphasized, “There is a high risk for dangerous heat illness for anyone, especially for the very young, the very old, those without air conditioning, and those active outdoors.” Residents were urged to limit outdoor activities to the early morning hours until the heat wave abated.
But the heat wave did more than just make people uncomfortable—it fueled critical fire weather conditions across the region. Dry air, low humidity, and the threat of dry lightning set the stage for fast-spreading wildfires, particularly in California and Oregon. California Governor Gavin Newsom, anticipating the worst, preemptively deployed firefighting crews, engines, water tenders, helicopters, and other resources to five counties: Los Angeles, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, and Ventura. On Saturday, August 23, he added eight more fire engines and three additional water tenders to two more counties, stating, “We’re taking no chances when it comes to protecting Californians from wildfire.”
In Napa County—an area famed for its wineries—the Pickett Fire erupted on August 21 near Calistoga. According to Cal Fire, the blaze grew rapidly, consuming over 6,800 acres by Sunday afternoon and was just 11% contained. More than 1,200 personnel, along with multiple helicopters and air tankers, were assigned to the fire. Cal Fire reported that “much of the activity was observed on the eastern edge of the fire,” and that overnight, five night-flying helicopters supported fire engines, dozers, and hand crews on the ground. About 190 people were under evacuation orders, with another 360 under evacuation warnings. So far, no structures had been reported damaged or destroyed, but the threat remained high as “structure protection remains a high priority,” Cal Fire emphasized.
Smoke from the Pickett Fire prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to extend an air quality advisory through August 25. Napa, Solano, and Sonoma counties braced for poor air quality, a familiar scenario as wildfires have become a recurring summer threat for the region.
Meanwhile, in central Oregon, the Flat Fire—now the largest active wildfire in the state this year—raged out of control. The fire began on August 21 and, fueled by hot, dry, and windy conditions, ballooned to nearly 22,000 acres by Sunday. More than 800 personnel were working “around the clock” to contain the blaze, according to the Central Oregon Fire Information. Operations Section Chief Eric Perkins described the challenge: “We are in the firefight and the weather’s not that favorable. It’s more favorable for the fire than the firefighters today.”
The Flat Fire prompted Oregon Governor Tina Kotek to declare a conflagration, unlocking additional state resources. The Oregon State Fire Marshal deployed multiple teams to protect homes in the fire’s potential path. Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for Deschutes and Jefferson counties, with about 1,000 homes under Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation orders and at least 3,938 homes threatened overall. Four main roads in the area were closed, and the situation remained fluid as red-flag warnings continued through Monday, August 25, due to hot, unstable weather and low humidity.
These two major blazes were just part of a broader crisis. The National Interagency Fire Center reported that at least 50 uncontained large fires were burning across the country as of August 24, with nearly 1 million acres already scorched in 2025. The agency warned that “hot, dry, and unstable conditions prevail along much of the West Coast near and west of the Cascades and Sierra, and across the Pacific Northwest and western Montana, with temperatures 10-20°F above normal.” The public was urged to heed local fire restrictions and advisories.
For many in the West, this heat wave and the accompanying fire threat were not just a passing inconvenience—they were a reminder of how quickly normal summer weather can turn life-threatening. As one firefighting official remarked, “These conditions mean that any spark, whether from people or nature, has the potential to grow quickly.” With temperatures expected to ease by Tuesday, residents and emergency crews alike hoped for relief, but remained vigilant, knowing that the summer of 2025 had already left its mark on the region.
