Crowds pack beaches as California bakes in the weekend heatwave

People gather on the beach along the Pacific Ocean on the first day of the Labor Day weekend amid a heatwave in Santa Monica, California. Temperatures are soaring across California sparking concerns that crowded beaches could allow for wider spread of the coronavirus amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Death Valley hit a record-high temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 Celsius) eclipsing the previous record of 119 Fahrenheit (48 Celsius) set in 2017, according to the National Weather Service. One death was reported because of the heat. Malibu Search and Rescue tweeted that a hiker died of the heat while on a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Xochitl Ramirez, center, is held by her mother Ashley while wading in the swimming beach next to her brother Joshua, left, at Castaic Lake in Castaic, Calif. California is sweltering under a dangerous heat wave Labor Day weekend that was spreading triple-digit temperatures over much of the state, raising concerns about power outages and the spread of the coronavirus as throngs of people packed beaches and mountains for relief.

Cael Kirkland, of Los Angeles, and son, cool off at Will Rogers State Beach in Los Angeles. The warm temperatures in California come as the state is recovering from another heat wave in mid-August and devastating wildfires that have burned some 1.5 million acres in the last three weeks.

Officials urged people to conserve electricity to ease strain on the state's power grid and to follow distancing and mask requirements when they hit recreational areas. Numerous parking lots to San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles County beaches closed after they filled to capacity and lifeguards reported seeing large crowds.

Joy Aguilar cuts Cooper Vanhoose's hair on the Venice Beach boardwalk amid a heatwave in Venice, California. Aguilar said she is offering haircuts outdoors along the beach as many hair salons remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Temperatures are soaring across California amid a late-summer heatwave.

The heat, coupled with a forecast of possible dry, gusty winds, made for dangerous weekend fire weather, at a time when nearly 13,000 firefighters already are battling to contain nearly two dozen major fires around California.

Lupe Flores, right, cools off in the swimming beach at Castaic Lake with her daughter Arlet Rodriguez, 2, in Castaic, Calif. Excessive heat warnings through the holiday weekend and possibly beyond have also been issued in other western states including Arizona and Nevada.

A visitors shields herself with from the sun with an umbrella in the swimming beach at Castaic Lake in Castaic, Calif. Because of the pandemic, L.A County beaches were closed during the Fourth of July weekend. But other counties kept their shores open. Holiday gatherings were blamed, in part, for COVID-19 spikes in some counties. Health authorities warned that beaches could be closed if they become too crowded.

California is bracing for record-breaking temperatures and dangerous fire weather conditions this Labor Day weekend, with the National Weather Service urging people to limit outdoor activity and to stay hydrated. Above, people sit on the Santa Monica pier as others gather on the beach at the Pacific Ocean.