Heat wave scalds Southwest, California
Phoenix burn center’s emergency visits double
PHOENIX — The main burn center in Phoenix has seen its emergency department visits double during the heat wave that is scorching the Southwest U.S., including people burning their bare feet on the scalding pavement.
Dr. Kevin Foster, director of the Arizona Burn Center, said this June is the worst the center has seen in 18 years. Most patients arrive with contact burns from touching hot car interiors or walking outside without shoes.
Foster said one child received contact burns after crawling through a doggy door onto the hot pavement.
“Getting up to 120 really makes a difference,” Foster said.
The burns are among several hazards resulting from a heat wave that has plagued Arizona, Nevada and California, including deaths, increased wildfire risks and a water shortage in one community.
The heat wave brought a high of 119 degrees in Phoenix on Tuesday. Las Vegas topped out at 117, and California has been broiling in triple-digit temps.
Two California firefighters were treated for heat-related injuries they received while battling a blaze in the San Bernardino Mountains near Los Angeles.
Arizona has yet to report any heat-related deaths, although Maricopa County, the most populated, had 130 heat deaths last year — a 15-year high.
Authorities declared a state of emergency in the Arizona community of Cordes Lake after its water supply dwindled amid increased consumption during the hot weather.
In Phoenix, about 10 to 15 patients are treated at the burn center’s emergency department on an average day, but about 25 to 30 people have come in daily since the heat wave rolled in this week, Foster said.