SEATTLE — Residents of the western U.S. are sweltering in a heat wave that’s already hospitalized some as temperatures will continue to hit dangerous levels throughout the weekend in Washington, Oregon, Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.

Wildfires have cropped up in different regions across California over the past several days as a record-breaking heat wave blankets most of the state, with more fire activity expected amid a spate of dry lightning and thunderstorms.

Temperatures across interior Southern California will climb dramatically as a prolonged heat wave begins Wednesday and could persist into next week.

Here’s how to use the Oregon Public Utility Commission rule that safeguards Oregonians from disconnections amid sweltering weather.

Parts of the Bay Area were baking under triple-digit heat on Thursday, with at least seven cities notching new daily records, the National Weather Service said.

By noon, the weather service said temperatures in the hottest spots had risen to 94 in Livermore, and 93 in Antioch and Concord; those communities are generally the three hottest spots in the interior East Bay. In the South Bay, Morgan Hill was 94 and San Jose had reached 88.

As temperatures are getting hotter in the Pacific Northwest, veterinarians are reminding people to take extra precautions with their pets.How hot is too hot for

The Beaverton Music Festival and Sunset Youth Football both made changes in order to protect people from the high temperatures.