Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak trails will be closed on days of extreme heat, the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Council voted Thursday.
The policy, which will take effect immediately, will prohibit hikers from accessing the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails at Camelback Mountain, as well as all trails associated with Piestewa Peak in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, on days when the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat warning.
When these specific trails are closed, the parking barriers will be closed and signage will be installed nearby to inform hikers. Closure information will also be communicated through the department’s website, on social media accounts and to local hotels. Department guards will also be nearby to ensure hikers do not enter the area.
Approximately 215 miles of trails would still be open to the public.
In July, the board adopted a temporary policy limiting access to the two popular hiking trails after 12 firefighters were sent home with heat-related issues after performing three consecutive rescues on the two mountains. Two of the firefighters ended up being hospitalized with acute kidney failure due to dehydration and exhaustion.
In the June 16 incident, the firefighters involved in the first two mountain rescues were not supposed to go up the mountain to help with other rescues, but made the decision to go back, according to the deputy chief of firefighters Tim Kreis.
“When a 911 call came in indicating that a patient atop Piestewa Peak was in anaphylactic shock and unconscious, they recognized that seconds count,” Kreis said. “I would argue that they are heroes because of it – to climb that mountain again.”
A pilot program was launched earlier this year from July 16 to September 30 and has shown promising results.
The temporary program restricted access to both trails from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days the National Weather Service had excessive heat monitoring in effect.
The number of mountain rescues during the pilot program was reduced by 38% compared to the number of rescues during the same months in 2020. The total number of mountain rescues fell from 217 to 155.
“The predictable is preventable,” Kreis said.
The trails that would be closed were chosen because they are the most difficult for first responders to navigate.
The policy met with some opposition from community members, who argued that closing the trails is a violation of their rights.
“If you want to put yourself in danger that’s one thing, but when you ask someone else to put yourself in danger, I think we are going beyond our limits and their rights,” Member Aubrey Barnwell said. from the administration board.
PJ Dean, spokesperson for United Phoenix Firefighters Association Local 493, said the policy would help first responders immensely.
“It certainly turned out to remove the lifesaving potential on our hottest days in Piestewa and Camelback when it turned out to be extremely dangerous,” Dean said. “For this reason, we enthusiastically support the staff recommendation to make this pilot program permanent.”
Journalist Perry Vandell contributed to this article.
Contact last-minute reporter Salma Reyes at [email protected] or on Twitter @r_salma_.
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