Tonight, wildfires are leaving a trail of destruction at a record-breaking heat in the west. The California heat wave is stretching its eight straight days with seven states under warnings and advisories. The temperatures are record breaking. Salt Lake City and Fresno, California had their hottest September days ever. The brutal heat is straining California’s power grid and power companies are pleading with public to conserve energy. The governor there sending out rare text alerts to avoid rolling blackouts. The dry weather has caused more than a dozen wildfires to explode across the state. Sheriffs and deputies are going door to door to warn those who haven’t evacuated.

Another brutal day for California. Withering heat and worsening wildfires, this one near Hemet, now more than seven thousand acres and growing in all directions. We are also learning more tonight about two residents who died as flames roared into their neighborhood. In the Southern California mountains, another wildfire exploding in size. All this as California oppressive heat wave continues to shatter records. Downtown Sacramento on Tuesday hit one hundred sixteen degrees, it’s hottest day ever. Demand on the state’s power grid also hit all-time high prompting this emergency alert. It may have worked. State officials reported a significant drop in energy use. But the threat of rolling blackouts remains. In Hemet, where at least seven buildings were destroyed, evacuees wonder what’s next. Parts of California could experience this extreme heat through Friday, that’s when relief could finally come in the form of rain from a hurricane no less headed north from Mexico.