Last week’s triple-digit heat wreaked havoc on Southern California avocado farms, leaving some growers with burnt trees and unsellable fruit just two weeks before the Fourth of July holiday, when avocado sales generally spike.

Growers in Fallbrook, De Luz and Temecula reported record temperatures between 110 and 117 degrees, as well as 30-mile per hour winds – a potentially devastating combination for avocado groves planted in sandy soil where the fierce winds can wick away moisture faster than the trees can absorb it.