Temperatures are beginning to cool off slightly, but the Phoenix Fire Department is continuing to urge hikers to use caution when heading out on trails in hot weather.
“We’re still seeing over 100 degrees, 105 degrees, so it’s still staying warm out there even though it’s cooling down at night,” said Phoenix Fire Captain DJ Lee.
The Fire Department has responded to at least eight heat-related calls from hikers just in the last two weeks, according to press releases.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be dangerous or even fatal. Hikers have died on popular trails in Phoenix as a result of heat.
The city closes some popular hiking trails from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days when the National Weather Service issues extreme heat warnings. There have been 31 heat warning days in 2025. Lee said, for the most part, hikers have been following city trail restrictions. But multiple rescue calls this summer have come from hikers who were on trails that were closed due to extreme heat warnings.
When Phoenix’s trail closure rules first took effect in 2021, the fire department had 57 mountain rescues during the heat season. Last year, the number had dropped to 35 rescues, the Fire Department reports.
“We were seeing a decrease [in mountain rescue calls] over the years with the trail restrictions,” Lee said.
But Lee said calls appear to be increasing again this year. He said in total this heat season, the department has had about 50 calls for mountain rescues.
“Some of those mountain rescues are, ‘I twisted an ankle, or I fell, I broke a leg mountain biking.’ So there’s lots of other things that account for these mountain rescues, it’s not all heat-related, although a majority of them probably are,” Lee said.
He said it’s unclear why there have been more calls this year. “Maybe we have more people this year, maybe more people are hiking.”
Even when an extreme heat warning is not in effect, the Fire Department urges hikers to stay hydrated and avoid hiking during the hottest parts of the day. The department says heading out for a hike unprepared is not only dangerous for you, but it also puts rescue crews at risk.
-
The department’s first e-bike teams were deployed last month to enable rescue teams to get to rural areas with rugged terrain more quickly. The e-bikes can carry medical supplies and rescue equipment to allow firefighters to provide necessary care and manage rescue operations while waiting for additional crews. -
ASU is retaining a former Arizona Supreme Court justice to review policies after a hockey practice left a player hospitalized. But the student’s family says the university’s response falls short. -
The state board that oversees Arizona’s public universities is weighing what to do in response to an Arizona State University hockey practice that left a student on life support. -
The EPA repealed its greenhouse gas emission limits from power plants in September, but Arizona and about 20 other states say that was illegal. -
Arizona State University is placing its head hockey coach on paid administrative leave. This comes after a student athlete collapsed from life-threatening heatstroke during the team’s first coach-led practice in August.
