With major heat in the forecast, California takes action to protect vulnerable communities – including with new CalHeatScore tool
What you need to know: Governor Newsom directed the state to continue taking actions ahead of extreme heat and fire weather conditions anticipated to impact much of California through the weekend.
SACRAMENTO – Building off the state’s predeployment of firefighting resources to Southern California ahead of dangerous fire weather, Governor Gavin Newsom continues to direct the state to take action ahead of anticipated higher temperatures across much of the state today through Saturday. Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in California and the nation.
The state entered Phase 2 of its extreme temperature response plan today – ramping up state and local coordination of resources to prepare for extreme heat. At the Governor’s direction, the State Operations Center at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is on an enhanced watch posture for both heat and fire conditions. Cooling centers to protect vulnerable residents are also opening in communities across the state.
As temperatures rise, the Governor is also reminding Californians to use CalHeatScore, the state’s new extreme heat early warning system, to prepare, stay informed and stay safe. Tomorrow and Friday, much of the state is forecast at the highest CalHeatScore of 4, meaning severe extreme heat that can affect anyone without cooling or hydration.
CalHeatScore shows high and severe temperatures for much of the state later this week (map is for Friday).
“With several days of extreme temperatures in the forecast for much of California, we’re taking action now to deploy resources throughout the state. And with our new CalHeatScore tool, all Californians can assess the risk to their health down to their zip code in real-time. Check the forecast and make preparations now.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
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:
- Prepare a wildfire action plan, including planning evacuation routes and packing a go-bag ready with essentials.
- Sign up for local emergency alerts to stay informed about changing conditions.
- Visit CalHeatScore.CalEPA.ca.gov to find heat safety information specific to your area.
- For more information on fire safety and general preparedness, visit Ready.ca.gov.
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.