As heat waves become more frequent and severe, hospitals are seeing more patients admitted with serious, sometimes life-threatening burns from asphalt and other outdoor surfaces.
Severe burns from contact with hot outdoor surfaces are becoming more common in the Southwest, where temperatures are hitting record highs.
According to an article by Adeel Hassan and Isabelle Taft in The New York Times, unhoused people, the elderly, and children are among some of the groups most vulnerable to these types of burns. Patients often require surgery and, in some cases, the burns can be fatal.
When air temperature rises, surfaces like asphalt and concrete become superheated. “For example, when the air temperature in Las Vegas reaches 115 degrees — as it did seven days in a row last week — the pavement temperature can climb to 160 degrees. At that intensity, it takes a few seconds of contact to sustain a second-degree burn, and a few minutes to get a third-degree burn.”
In 2023, The Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix admitted 136 patients for contact burns, 14 of whom died. So far this year, 50 patients have been admitted and four have died.
FULL STORY: Burns From Scorching-Hot Sidewalks and Roads Are Rising, and Can Be Fatal
Extreme Heat Responsible for Growing Death Rates Among Unhoused People
Extreme heat events like the ‘heat dome’ that baked Southern California last summer kill a disproportionate number of people experiencing homelessness, who have fewer resources to protect themselves from the scorching sun.
How Extreme Heat Impacts Children
As summers get hotter and more dangerous, parents can take steps to protect kids from heat-related illnesses.
Study: Heat Deaths on the Rise, Predicted to Increase
As intense heat waves become more common, the risk of heat-related deaths is rising.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie