Overview
- Phoenix fire crews carried out three separate rescues on Aug. 16 on Camelback Mountain, including a helicopter hoist and cold-water immersion for a woman with a core temperature above 104°F who was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
- The National Weather Service has an Extreme Heat Warning for metro Phoenix through Aug. 21 with daytime highs forecast at 110–112°F.
- The City of Phoenix has closed popular trails from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Echo Canyon and Cholla on Camelback, the Piestewa Peak summit trail, and several South Mountain routes, to reduce avoidable heat incidents.
- Hospitals such as Banner Health report a sharp rise in heat-exhaustion and heat-stroke cases that can lead to organ failure, and first responders say weekend rescues have strained crews and resources.
- Maricopa County is investigating more than 500 possible heat-related deaths this summer and local meteorologists note the season’s warnings began unusually early with more alerts so far than last year, pointing to an intensifying heat pattern.