Deadly Contact Burns Rising in the Southwest

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.

1 minute read

July 17, 2024, 11:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Arizona Streets

An unhoused Phoenix resident rests on a sidewalk. | Gregory E. Clifford / Shutterstock

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.

Sunday, July 14, 2024 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

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.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

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.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

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.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

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.

July 17 - San José Spotlight