![\"Scottdale](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CHZ47SJT3FBVLKT767PSBNCXMM.jpeg\")
Scottdale firefighters assist an injured hiker at Pinnacle Peak.(Scottsdale Fire Department)Dealing with the heat<\/p>\nPHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Saturday was a busy day for emergency response crews in the Valley who responded to four separate mountain rescues \u2014 some due to medical emergencies \u2014 during above-average temperatures.<\/p>\n
Phoenix firefighters closed Echo Canyon Trail at Camelback Mountain around 2 p.m. as they responded to a hiker who hurt her leg. <\/p>\n
Phoenix Fire said crews made a steep angle rescue with a rope system to lower the hiker down the mountain. That woman was taken to the hospital in stable condition. <\/p>\n
Busy rescue day on the mountains<\/p>\n
The Camelback Mountain rescue was the fourth hiker rescue of the day across the Valley. <\/p>\n
Around 8:30 a.m., Phoenix Fire crews were called to a hiker experiencing a medical emergency and in need of rescue from South Mountain. That hiker was safely taken off the mountain with a big wheel rescue, and she was hospitalized in stable condition. <\/p>\n
Around 10:30 a.m., crews responded to a woman who needed rescuing from Piestewa Peak due to a medical emergency. She was also rescued with a big wheel stretcher and hospitalized in stable condition, according to Phoenix Fire. <\/p>\n
Also on Saturday morning, Scottsdale firefighters helped rescue a woman from Pinnacle Peak after she reported feeling dizzy. <\/p>\n
Scottdale firefighters assist an injured hiker at Pinnacle Peak.(Scottsdale Fire Department)Dealing with the heat<\/p>\n
These rescues come just after Maricopa County officials confirmed the county\u2019s first heat-related death<\/a> of 2026.<\/p>\n Austin Davis with AZ Hugs, a homeless outreach group in the Valley, says they\u2019ve been working overtime this year.<\/p>\n \u201cThe heat has come much quicker than it has in the past.\u201d Davis said. \u201cWe have to adjust our model for this change in weather. Well, I mean, we had an emergency warning in March when it was 106. At that time, you know, local groups like ours, mutual aid groups mobilized small projects to, you know, pop up cooling centers.\u201d<\/p>\n In February, the Phoenix City Council passed a plan to change access to cooling centers. The Cholla Library is now open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and expanded hours on Sundays from noon to 9 p.m.<\/p>\n Davis said while these are good steps, more still needs to be done.<\/p>\n \u201cI know a lot of folks that have been trespassed from libraries, and if that is the only option for where that person can seek respite during the day, that person is in a lot of trouble,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n His foundation is\u00a0calling on Gov. Katie Hobbs to declare a state of emergency<\/a>, saying lives are on the line.<\/p>\n According to heat response officials, more than 400 people died of heat-related causes in Maricopa County last year. Davis fears with all the triple-digit days already, it could be a long and hot summer.<\/p>\n Hiking in Arizona<\/p>\n The Scottsdale Fire Department provided several tips for anyone looking to hike in Arizona during hot weather:<\/p>\n Stay Hydrated<\/p>\n Know the Warning Signs<\/p>\n Stay on Marked Trails<\/p>\n Carry a Fully Charged Cell Phone <\/p>\n Time Your Hike Wisely<\/p>\n Dress for the Heat<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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