Arizona’s heat wave is causing residents to suffer burns from the hot ground.Photo:Brandon Bell/Getty
Brandon Bell/Getty
Temperatures in Arizona have climbed as high as 119 degrees — superheating the ground so intensely that people are suffering burns from coming into contact with it.
And in Maricopa County, some people have even been hospitalized from burns they sustained from falling on the ground.
“Summers are our busy season, so we anticipate that this sort of thing is going to happen. But this is really unusual — the number of patients that we’re seeing and the severity of injuries — the acuity of injuries is much higher,” Dr Foster told CNN.
The dark pavement is retaining heat in Arizona, causing burns to residents who come into contact with it.Ash Ponders/Bloomberg via Getty
Ash Ponders/Bloomberg via Getty
Temperatures of 118 degrees are high enough to burn the skin, according to theNational Institute of Standards and Technology, with blistering and second-degree burns being suffered at 131 degrees.
“The temperature of asphalt and pavement and concrete and sidewalks in Arizona on a warm sunny day or summer afternoon is 180 degrees sometimes. I mean, it’s just a little below boiling, so it’s really something,” Foster told CNN.
In Phoenix alone, temperatures have topped110° for 25 days straight— and counting.
One Arizona resident shared aTikTok videoof her red, blistered, and burned feet after she said “I ran outside barefoot…for less than 2 minutes…in ARIZONA. I have 2nd degree burns.”
It only takes a “fraction of a second” to get a “pretty deep burn,” Foster told CNN, adding that “the skin is completely destroyed” after being in contact with hot pavement for 10 to 20 minutes.
“These are really serious injuries,” he said.
Of particular concern are darker asphalt surfaces. “Asphalt pavements absorb and store more heat than natural surfaces,” onereport said.“Their dark surfaces incessantly absorb the heat.”
TheArizona Humane Societyhas warned of burn risks to dogs as well, reminding pet owners that “if it’s too hot for bare feet, it’s too hot for bare paws.” They caution that it’s not just asphalt, but also “sidewalks [and] desert sand (often found on hiking trails)” that pose risks for dogs who could sustain third-degree burns from those surfaces.
There have been 18 heat-related deaths in Arizona so far, according toAZCentral, but the outlet says that number may increase as the causes of other deaths are determined.
source: people.com
