<\/p>\n
This chart shows the number of rescues that have occurred on Camelback and South mountains and Piestewa Peak in each of the last five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
(City of Phoenix)<\/p>\n
Despite a number of measures Phoenix has instituted to protect mountain hikers from summer heat, city officials say more action might be needed.<\/p>\n
The reason?<\/p>\n
Mountain rescues so far this year show a disturbing trend that exceed annual numbers for the previous five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Fire Department has responded to 74 mountain rescues for Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak and South Mountain from January to May 20, 2026. These numbers suggest an upward trend of anticipated mountain rescues heading into the 2026 summer months from May through September,\u201d according to a report that is scheduled to be discussed today, June 3, by the City Council Subcommittee on Public Safety and Justice.<\/p>\n
The report by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays, Deputy City Manager Cynthia Aguilar and Phoenix Fire does not cite any specific actions being considered to curb the need for mountain rescues.<\/p>\n
It only states, \u201cStaff will continue exploring new technology options to provide real-time trail closure data and other enhancements to the trail user experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The combined number of rescues so far this year is the highest this decade, according to data contained in the report.<\/p>\n
Since 2021, the number of people rescued has ranged from 68 in 2022 to 40 in 2023.<\/p>\n
But the report underscores the effectiveness of trail restrictions during peak temperature times of the day along some of the 200 trails that traverse 41,000 acres of desert parks and mountain preserves..<\/p>\n
\u201cThree out of four years reviewed saw a decrease in mountain rescues on those mountains that had restrictions in place from 2021 to 2024,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2025, Camelback Mountain saw a 75% increase in mountain rescues, and Piestewa Peak saw a 38% reduction, while South Mountain saw a 5% increase.\u201d<\/p>\n
But while the report cites \u201ca correlation between rising temperatures and decreased trail use,\u201d it also said, \u201cthousands of people continue to visit the parks even on days when temperatures exceed 110\u00b0F.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were 17 instances where the Phoenix Fire Department conducted multiple rescues during a single shift (May through September), 14 of which occurred on days with projected highs above 100\u00b0F. This mirrors the conditions that led to the implementation of the trail closure policy in 2021.\u201d<\/p>\n
The report also said the vast majority of rescued hikers \u2014 85% \u2014 who needed some kind of medical treatment had suffered heat-related illnesses rather than trauma from a fall.<\/p>\n
It also noted, \u201cAdditionally, an injury resulting in immobility during the summer can quickly lead to heat-related illness for those patients who cannot self-extract and require assistance from emergency responders to get off the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Apparently, out-of-towners are not the primary problem for first responders on hit days.<\/p>\n
The report said 61% of rescued victims were Arizona residents while a review of 35 medical charts showed 33 lived in the Valley.<\/p>\n
Last year, the city began restricting trail access on National Weather Service Extreme Heat Warning Days from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Camelback Mountain, the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail and associated trails at the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, and the Hau\u2019pal Loop Trail, Holbert Trail, Mormon Trail and access to the National Trail from the Pima Canyon Trailhead at South Mountain Park\/Preserve.<\/p>\n
The report details an extensive network for publicizing those closures, including media announcements to the \u201cTake a Hike. Do it Right.\u201d campaign that communicates with local hotels and resorts, gates and signage, and posting park rangers at busier trailheads.<\/p>\n
It also notes even more warnings and notifications are on the way.<\/p>\n
At Piestewa Peak, officials installed an automatic gate, electronic message board, and cameras.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe automatic gates assist in scheduling closures. The message board educates the public before and after extreme heat warning days that the affected trails will be closed. The cameras allow staff to monitor the entry gate remotely,\u201d the report said, promising the same improvements at South Mountain Park and Camelback Mountain in the coming months.<\/p>\n
Parks officials also have installed ice machines for first responders at Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak and Hobart Trail on South Mountain with another planned for Pima Canyon on South Mountain once power upgrades are completed.<\/p>\n
With the initiation last year of longer closures during extreme temperatures, the city Parks and Recreation Department also partnered with the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation to promote safe hiking practices and prevent heart-related illnesses and rescues.<\/p>\n
During 107 shifts at Pima Canyon, Piestewa Peak and Echo Canyon, the report said, 265 volunteers spent 818 hours, resulting in 17,300 hiker engagements that included the distribution of 14,400 bottles of water, 200 cooling towels and 6,000 electrolyte packages.<\/p>\n
The report also stresses that it\u2019s just not hikers who put themselves at risk when they venture on a trail during peak times of heat.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor more than a decade, the city has experienced record-breaking heat, and its impact on trail users and first responders can be severe,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n
\u201cStrenuous physical activities in high temperatures during long and even short durations can cause heat stroke, heart attack and\/or arrhythmia, as well as neurological, circulatory, and respiratory issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor first responders, mountain rescues are complex incidents that require the response and commitment of multiple companies for an extended period. The risk is further elevated because they are required to carry over 145 pounds of equipment (dispersed among the members) up the mountain to treat and transport the patient.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe use of Firebird 10 (hoist ship) is a resource within the Technical Rescue Program for safely extracting a patient from the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the report notes the helicopter \u201cis not always available due to current weather conditions, maintenance or repair, and the patient’s topography and location.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This chart shows the number of rescues that have occurred on Camelback and South mountains and Piestewa Peak…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":850245,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,62598,270165,253940,1589,347456,179764,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-850244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-phoenix","tag-america","tag-arizona","tag-az","tag-camelback-mountain","tag-cynthia-aguilar","tag-lori-bays","tag-phoenix","tag-piestewa-peak-summit-trail","tag-pima-canyon","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116707661080915177","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=850244"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850244\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/850245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=850244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=850244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=850244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}