Phoenix fire officials offering advice to residents looking to hike this week
Jul 24, 2018, 4:24 AM
(Photo by Take a Hike Arizona via flickr/Creative Commons)
(Photo by Take a Hike Arizona via flickr/Creative Commons)
PHOENIX — If you’re thinking of taking a hike in the Phoenix area this week, as temperatures were expected to reach up to 118 degrees, the Phoenix Fire Department has some advice for you.
While the Phoenix Fire Department does not have the authority to tell people when they should and should not hike, there are some tips that hikers should consider before potentially putting themselves in danger.
“Our residents’ safety is our No. 1 priority in the city of Phoenix and obviously that goes for the Phoenix Fire Department,” Capt. Jake Van Hook with the Phoenix Fire Department told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
“The tips that we are talking about for having people go out and hike and stay safe are really the same tips that we give throughout the year.”
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Van Hook said the department was encouraging hikers to hit the trails in the early morning hours or later in the day, after the sun has dipped behind a mountain or a hill “where you don’t have that direct exposure to the sun.”
Van Hook said morning hikers should consider wrapping up their hike by 10 a.m. or 11 a.m., when triple-digit temperatures can creep their way into the forecast.
“When you compound the temperature with the exposure of the reflective heat on the trail, the exposure can be devastating,” he said. “It takes a toll on your body, in terms of being able to sweat and adapt to the heat that your body is taking on.”
The Phoenix Fire Department is a first-hand witness to how the heat can affect hikers. First responders made four mountain rescues for hikers suffering from heat-related injuries before 11 a.m. on Sunday. Temperatures were already in the triple-digits at that time.
“We are certainly not restricting anyone in terms of when they can and can’t hike, but we try to educate people to hike smart,” he added.
Hikers should also have a friend with them during their hikes, or at the “bare minimum” carry a cell phone on them in case they need to contact first responders.
Some of the other tips that Van Hook gave were to make sure to wear proper footwear, have plenty of water and hydrate the night before your hike, “not just when we feel thirsty during the hike.
“No matter what, when you’re out on the trail and you’ve reached the halfway point with your water, it’s time to turn around,” Van Hook advised.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Griselda Zetino contributed to this report.
