California has recently struggled with sweltering heat and widespread wildfires.
Tropical the storm cooled temperatures on Saturday and brought much-needed rain to Southern California, ending a relentless heat wave, news agency Reuters tells.
According to forecasts, temperatures in Southern California were already expected to drop below 32 degrees on Friday after several days of sweltering heat of over 40 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, the temperature rose to a high of 38 degrees in California on Friday at the Los Angeles International Airport.
Officials had considered implementing momentary blackouts earlier this week as electricity demand hit all-time highs in the state due to the acute need for cooling.
Read more: California’s power grid is struggling with record demand as a heat wave hits the state
California has struggled recently with widespread wildfires. A change in the weather will also make it easier to manage them in the future.
Officials had warned in advance that strong winds from the remnants of Hurricane Kay could fan the Fairview Fire, which by Friday had spread to about 27,000 acres in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles.
The heavy rains caused by the storm, on the other hand, were expected to increase the possibility of flash floods and mudslides.
Fears in contrast, steady overnight rain helped firefighters advance the Fairview Fire, a spokesman for the state fire agency, Cal Fire Rob Roser told Reuters on Saturday morning local time.
A little before 11:00 a.m. local time, 40 percent of the fire area had already been contained, and no flooding or mudslides had been reported, Roseer said.
“Fortunately, the rain brought by Kay came earlier than expected and provided relief for the firefighters.”
Thousands of people have been ordered to leave their homes as a result of the Fairview Fire, which continues to rage. However, some of the people living west and northwest of the fire have been allowed to return since Friday.
Another widespread wildfire that is still ongoing, the Mosquito Fire, meanwhile, expanded overnight. By Saturday morning, the fire had already spread to an area of more than 33,000 hectares, and it is burning completely out of control, according to Cal Fire.
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