Santa Clara County investigating 19 deaths as possibly heat-related

Officials in Santa Clara County are investigating 19 deaths to determine whether those deaths were heat-related, after a record-breaking heat wave baked much of the Bay Area in the days before and after the July 4th holiday.

“The 19 cases investigated are potential heat-related deaths, based on the circumstances and our investigation. The circumstances include when an individual was last seen alive, the condition of their body when found, status of temperature inside the home, recent medical complaints, and any underlying medical conditions, among others,” the County of Santa Clara Office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office said on Thursday.

The office said 4 of the people were confirmed to be homeless, 1 was homeless and enrolled in a transitional housing program, and that 9 of the 19 were over the age of 65.

Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties had not reported any heat-related deaths as of Thursday.

While cooler temperatures are expected in the coming days, parts of the interior of the Bay Area were expected to top 100 degrees Thursday.

The heat is not isolated to the Bay Area or California. Tens of millions of Americans were under extreme heat alerts Thursday, as many parts of the country were affected. Over 30 heat-related deaths have been reported nationwide so far, with more expected. Deaths have been reported in the Sacramento area, as well as in Arizona, New York and Florida over the past several days.

Tom Li and Rick Hurd contributed to this story.