PHOTO: The Phoenix Fire Department has seen an uptick in mountain rescues during mid-September.
Firefighters have already responded to five hikers needing help this week, because September does not always mean cool temperatures in the Valley.
When coronavirus forced gyms to close, Phoenix firefighters had a lot of mountain rescues. Then summer hit, the hottest and driest on record, and the number of rescues declined. Now firefighters are getting mountain rescue calls again as people get back on the trail.
“Right now we’ve had an uptick over the last couple of weeks because we’re still unseasonably warm," said Rob McDade, a spokesman with Phoenix Fire. "It’s hot, but it shouldn’t be this hot, right?”
McDade reminds hikers to bring water, hike when temperatures are cool and know your limits.