Summer is the time for people to enjoy and soak up the sun, but people should be wary about overexposure to too much heat. Recently, high temperatures recorded in the West coast states have alarmed authorities enough to prompt health advisories due to the fact that heat related illnesses such as heat stroke could cause severe sickness and even death in a number of cases.
In fact, last year, in Maricopa County alone, there were 84 deaths recorded as a direct result of illnesses brought about by the extreme heat in that region. The fact that the temperatures recorded these days are considerably higher than the ones from a few years ago does not help either. The temperature in Phoenix can reach as high as 119 degrees, which would go on record as the fourth highest ever temperature there.
Wildfires are another issue brought about by intense heat. These can cause major damage to not only nature, but in some cases personal property as well. Wildfires are becoming a trend in six Western states particularly in the states of California, New Mexico, and Arizona. Firefighters are having a hard time containing these types of fires, says NBC News.
A recent fire in Santa Barbara, California burned more than 7,000 acres and was only prevented from doing more damage due to the fact that there was no wind that night. In New Mexico, there was also a 17,000-acre fire southeast of Albuquerque according to reports from USA Today. Finally, a 12,000-acre fire also occurred on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
"These fires are larger and are doing more damage," says Dan Berlant of the CAL FIRE agency. "We have millions of dead trees in our forests. No amount of rain will bring those back, and they are all kindling and fuel for wildfires," he adds.
