Nine hundred and ninety people died of heat-related causes last year in Arizona, according to the state Department of Health Services.
Nearly two-thirds of those deaths were among people ages 50 or older, and half of all deaths involved people who were using substances, like alcohol or illicit drugs.
The state’s Chief Heat Officer Eugene Livar says the vast majority had lived here for more than 20 years.
"I think we often think about who is being impacted by heat as either being tourists or visitors or those who just arrived in the state. But the data really shows everyone is at risk for heat-related illness, stroke or heat related death," Livar said.
While the highest number of deaths were in Maricopa County, La Paz, Mohave and Pima Counties had the most deaths per capita.
