Del Puerto Canyon wildfire burning west of Patterson as heat wave bakes California

A Del Puerto Canyon wildfire west of Patterson had scorched 323 acres as of Thursday morning and was at 5% percent containment, Cal Fire was reporting.

The Grande Fire was one of more than a dozen wildfires across the state, including the Thompson Fire in Butte County, which has resulted in the evacuation of about 26,000 people and had burned more than 3,500 acres near Oroville, about 70 miles north of Sacramento. Four structures have been destroyed.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported Thursday morning the Thompson Fire was at 7% containment and while “over the past 12 hours there has been no change in the noted acreage ... today we are expecting high temperatures, which increases the chances for fire growth.”

Nearly 2,000 firefighters and other personnel are assigned to the Thompson Fire. Cal Fire reported Thursday morning that 120 firefighters and other personnel were assigned to the Grande Fire, which started Thursday.

The wildfires come as much of California is scorched by a heat wave. The National Weather Service is reporting daytime highs of 105 to 115 degrees over several days with little overnight relief for much of the state, according to the Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.

The Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services is reporting that the libraries in Modesto, Newman, Oakdale, Patterson, Riverbank, Salida and Turlock are open noon to 8 p.m. on the Fourth of July as cooling zones.

A full list of cool zones, including other locations open over the holiday, is as at stanemergency.com/pdf/cooling-locations.pdf .

The National Weather Service’s seven-day forecast for Modesto calls for triple-digit days through Wednesday, with nighttime lows in the low to mid-70s. This weekend is expected to be the peak with a high of 110 degrees Saturday and 109 on Sunday.

Modesto remains under an excessive heat warning through 11 p.m. Tuesday. Officials are advising people to drink plenty of water, stay in air-conditioned rooms, limit sun exposure and check on family and neighbors.