July has emerged as the most lethal month for overdoses in Maricopa County, and local fire officials are urging residents to be alert to a dangerous interaction that is costing lives: extreme heat combined with alcohol or drug use. New county health figures show that more than half of heat-related deaths recorded last year involved alcohol or drugs, a confluence that firefighters say makes it far harder for people and their loved ones to recognize when a crisis is unfolding.
Loading post…
Sun blares over palm trees in a TV news still reporting new data on heat deaths in Maricopa County — Phoenix firefighters warn extreme heat combined with alcohol or drugs raises the risk of fatal overdoses.
Maricopa County records indicate that 55% of heat-related fatalities last year involved drugs or alcohol. Officials say 236 people died from the combined effects of high temperatures and substance use, and that stimulants were implicated in nearly all of those cases. By contrast, opioids were a factor in fewer than 47% of heat-related deaths tied to substances during the same period. Those figures have prompted fire crews to step up warnings and outreach as temperatures climb.
Fire Captain Mike Johnson, who works with Phoenix emergency crews, said substances can interfere with a person’s ability to notice or respond to the physical signs of overheating. “It can really kind of mask symptoms that they’re having,” Johnson said. “They might not be realizing that they are not sweating anymore or that they’re thirsty.” That reduced awareness, he cautioned, can allow a person’s condition to deteriorate before help is sought or even before bystanders recognize a problem.
Johnson and other fire personnel singled out stimulants for an added layer of concern during heat waves. Stimulants can raise the body’s internal temperature, compounding the effects of high ambient heat and putting users at substantially greater risk of dangerous heat-related conditions. “Stimulants also really increase the internal temperature of your body,” Johnson said. That physiological effect means someone who uses stimulants outdoors in hot weather can reach unsafe core temperatures far more quickly than someone who is sober.
The combination of impaired temperature regulation and diminished awareness is particularly perilous because of how rapidly the situation can change. Johnson warned that heat stroke can develop quickly and is a medical emergency. “Heat stroke is definitely a life-threatening emergency and it happens very quickly, especially once you start getting into that altered state,” he said. Once a person’s mental state is changed by drugs or alcohol, the window for effective intervention can narrow dramatically, leaving little time for first responders to reverse the course.
Alcohol and certain prescription medications present separate but related dangers in extreme heat, Johnson added. Some common drugs, including blood pressure medicines, can interact with high temperatures and dehydration to weaken a person’s ability to cool off. Combined with reduced fluid intake, these effects can hasten the onset of heat illness. Beyond that, firefighters point out an additional hazard for anyone who collapses outdoors: the surfaces around them are often extraordinarily hot. “If you were to pass out in this heat, you’re not only looking at heat exhaustion, now you can be talking about burn injuries with how hot our sidewalks and roads are getting,” Johnson said.
A firefighter walks ahead of a brush fire at night as flames burn nearby — Phoenix fire crews say extreme temperatures increase dangers, especially when combined with substance use.
Given the documented toll, Phoenix fire crews are asking neighbors, friends and family to be vigilant during the hottest weeks of the year. They urge anyone who observes a person who appears confused, unresponsive, overheated, or otherwise in distress to call 911 without delay. Rapid recognition and immediate emergency care are critical to preventing heat-related fatalities, particularly when drugs or alcohol may be involved.
Fire officials are also stressing basic preventive steps: hydrate, avoid prolonged outdoor exposure during peak heat, and be cautious about mixing alcohol or certain medications with high temperatures. They emphasize that the combination of extreme heat and substance use is not simply uncomfortable or risky—it has been linked to a substantial share of last year’s heat-related deaths in the county. As summer continues and temperatures remain elevated, firefighters say awareness and quick action from the public can be lifesaving, and they continue to monitor and respond to heat-related emergencies across the region.
Maricopa County Public Health confirmed the first heat-related death of 2026 in April—an older adult male—with its surveillance dashboard now live to track preliminary deaths, hospitalizations, and substance-use factors as extreme heat persists into July. Officials continue to emphasize awareness of how drugs and alcohol compound risks during peak summer months.
Maricopa County’s April 2026 2025 Annual Heat Report shows a total of 430 heat-related deaths in 2025, and that 74% of those deaths occurred in outdoor settings.
The county report found that people experiencing homelessness made up the largest share of 2025 heat deaths (about 49%), and that 74% of decedents were male with roughly 60% aged 50 and older.
The 2025 data showed a shift in timing: 37% of heat-related deaths occurred in August (rather than July), and the county recorded an 85-day streak from June 13 to September 5 during which a heat-related death occurred each day (357 deaths during that period).
By location, Phoenix accounted for the largest city share with 233 heat-related deaths, and the National Weather Service issued five excessive heat warnings in Maricopa County in 2025, covering a total of 31 days.