PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 New data shows an increase in mountain rescues in Phoenix this summer.<\/p>\n
There were 47 rescue incidents during June, July and August, compared to 39 in the same time period each of the last two years and 58 in 2022.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s behind the increase? There\u2019s unfortunately no concrete answer to that.<\/p>\n
Captain DJ Lee with Phoenix Fire says the rescues could be heat-related or because of other injuries. Despite the uptick, Lee still thinks the city\u2019s trail restriction program<\/a> is helping.<\/p>\n The numbers can give the department an idea of where the rescues are happening most often and if adjustments need to be made, Lee said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had those ice machines put in place on Echo Canyon, Piestewa trailheads; that was a massive thing for us to treat heat-related injuries,\u201d he said. \u201cSo this type of data helps us track where the mountain rescues are and how bad they are.\u201d<\/p>\n Which mountain saw the highest number of rescues<\/a>? South Mountain had the most with 16, compared to 13 in 2024. Lee says hopefully they can dwindle those down.<\/p>\n \u201cIt (South Mountain) is very complex. I\u2019m surprised we didn\u2019t have more from previous years,\u201d he told Arizona\u2019s Family.<\/p>\n Other highlights from the new stats: there were no mountain rescues on Piestewa Peak in June, July and August this year.<\/p>\n While the Phoenix Fire Department is in charge of mountain rescues, they don\u2019t deal with enforcement. That\u2019s the job of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, and the board votes on and sets the rules.<\/p>\n Arizona\u2019s Family reached out to Parks and Rec to ask if the board plans to revisit the trail restriction program and possibly make changes. A spokesperson says for now it is not on the agenda in September.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n