PHOENIX (AP) — Ron Falk suffered severe injuries, losing his right leg and undergoing extensive skin grafting on his left one, after collapsing from heat stroke outside a Phoenix convenience store during a heat wave.
Now reliant on a wheelchair, the 62-year-old has lost his job and home. He is currently recuperating at a medical respite center for individuals with nowhere else to go. There, he receives physical therapy and treatment for a bacterial infection in his right leg, preventing him from using the prosthesis he hoped would help him walk again.
“If you don’t find a place to cool down, the heat can have serious consequences,” Falk said of his experience with heat stroke. “You may lose consciousness and not even be aware of what’s happening, as in my case.”
High temperatures in Southwest cities like Phoenix are resulting in sizzling sidewalks and unshaded playgrounds, posing a risk of surface burns. Phoenix recently recorded its hottest June on record, with an average daytime high of 109.5 degrees Fahrenheit, reaching new summertime highs.
Various demographics, including young children, older adults, and homeless individuals, are particularly vulnerable to contact burns from hot surfaces. Since the beginning of June, 50 people have been hospitalized with such burns, and four have died at Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix.
Last year, the center saw a sharp increase in patients admitted for surface burns during the summer months, with four out of five being homeless individuals. The extreme heat wave of last summer resulted in a record number of patients with life-threatening burns.
Similar issues are being experienced in Las Vegas, where the harsh desert sun is causing surface burn injuries. Victims range from children who unintentionally touch hot surfaces to older adults collapsing from heat stroke.
Heat-related deaths, including thermal injuries, were a significant factor in the 645 heat-related deaths in Maricopa County last year. Patients requiring treatment for skin burns often undergo extensive surgeries and lengthy recoveries.
