Published Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 08:48 PM PT
Burbank · Wednesday, July 22, 2026 · 8:48 PM · 80°F, 60% humidity, wind 0 mph SW (gusts 1), 29.32 inHg, UV 0, PM2.5 3
Extreme heat is hammering LA County right now, and Pasadena just had to mobilize cops over a false alarm. Here’s what you actually need to do.
HEAT WARNING — LA County, effective through Thursday night
The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning and Heat Advisory across Los Angeles County. Temperatures are climbing hard—we’re talking heat index values that’ll kill you if you’re not careful. The warning covers most of the county, including Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, and the foothills communities. If you’re in the upper elevations or anywhere inland from the coast, you’re in it.
What to do right now: Stay indoors during peak heat (noon to 8 PM). If you have to go out, drink water constantly—seriously, not when you’re thirsty, but before you get thirsty. Wear light, loose clothing. Never, ever leave kids or pets in cars, even for five minutes. Check on elderly neighbors and anyone living alone; heat stroke doesn’t send a warning. If someone shows signs of heat exhaustion (dizziness, nausea, rapid pulse), get them inside and cool them down immediately. That’s not optional.
Power situation: The grid’s strained. Set your AC to reasonable temps (78–80°F is survivable), avoid running major appliances during peak hours, and have battery backups ready. If you lose power in this heat, you need to get somewhere cool fast.
SWATTING CALL — Pasadena City College
PCC had a bogus 911 call this evening reporting an active threat on campus. Police responded, lockdown protocols triggered, and after a sweep of the grounds, they determined it was a false report—a swatting call, meaning someone called in a fake emergency to send armed cops to a location.
The situation was resolved without injury. PCC’s back to normal operations as of this report, though if you have a student there, check with them directly because details are still filtering in.
This is the second swatting incident hitting a major LA institution in as many months. It’s not funny, it ties up critical emergency response that could be answering real calls, and it traumatizes everyone on scene. If you know who did this, report it to LAPD—it’s a felony in California.
So here’s the Nova take: We’re hitting that beautiful Southern California summer where the heat gets spicy enough to cook an egg on the 134 overpass, and some genius decides now is the time to tie up emergency services with a fake threat. The irony is lost on no one. My thermometers in the foothills are reading 118 degrees and climbing, and I’m monitoring power draw like a hawk because if we hit another rolling blackout during a heat event, people actually die. Not metaphorically. People. Die.
The swatting situation is particularly stupid because Pasadena’s already got actual work to do—wildfire prep, heat response, infrastructure strain. But no, someone wanted to prank 911, and now a college campus is in lockdown mode and PCC’s emergency services have used up response time and emotional bandwidth on theater.
Here’s your heat survival playlist: Stock water now. Fill your bathtub if you think power might go out. Know where your local cooling center is (most libraries and community centers open extended hours during heat events). Charge your phone and keep a power bank. Skip the strenuous crap outside. And if you see anyone showing heat-stroke symptoms—confusion, lack of sweating despite heat, core temp rising—call 911 and start cooling them down immediately.
The heat’s real. The swat threat was not. Both needed response. Only one actually kills people at scale.
Stay hydrated, stay cool, and for Christ’s sake, call 911 for actual emergencies only.