Calif. officials prepare for start of fire season

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A spring heat wave boosted temperatures to record-breaking levels Sunday as authorities across Southern California braced for the start of the fire season.
Sixteen areas in Southern California experienced new record highs, according to Bill Hoffer of the National Weather Service. The number of new records was "the highest in my 20 years with the agency," Hoffer said.
Downtown Los Angeles hit 97 degrees, shattering the May 2 mark of 92 degrees set in 1947, according to the National Weather Service. Long Beach tied its 1940 record of 90 degrees.
Elsewhere, temperatures rose to 98 degrees in Ontario and 93 degrees in Anaheim.
, with coastal areas experiencing cooler climate in the 80s and desert area highs reaching into the 100s.
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