By BETH DeFALCO, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jul 21, 7:07 AM ET
PHOENIX - A record heat wave has led to the deaths of 18 people, most
of them homeless, leaving officials scrambling to provide water and
shelter to the city's transient population.p
For
the first time in years, homeless shelters opened their doors during
the day to offer respite from the blistering sun, which has delivered
above-average temperatures every day since June 29. Police began
passing out thousands of water bottles donated by grocery stores, and
city officials set up tents for shade downtown.
"I don't know why I'm not burnt to pieces," said Chris Cruse, 48, after taking refuge in a shelter.
Four more bodies were found Wednesday. Fourteen of the victims were
thought to be homeless. Authorities did not know if a man found by the
side of a road Sunday had a permanent residence.
The other three victims were elderly women, including one whose home cooling system was not on, police said.
"Most of us just run from air-conditioned box to air-conditioned
box, so it's hard to imagine how omnipresent the heat really is for the
homeless here," said Phoenix police Sgt. Randy Force.
In all of last year, the state Department of Health Services
documented 34 heat-related deaths among Arizona residents. The number
of illegal immigrants killed by heat-related illnesses while trying to
cross the desert are counted separately.
The first deaths were reported Saturday. By Wednesday, the high
still climbed to 109 degrees. Even during the coolest part of the day,
the mercury has failed to descend lower than 89 degrees.
David Waing, a former truck driver who's been living on the streets
of Phoenix for the past year, said he's been staying close to water by
sleeping near one of the city's irrigation canals.
"In the mornings, about 9 or 10 o'clock, when it starts getting
really hot, we just jump in and take a swim," he said. "The nights
aren't much better. When the wind does blow, it feels like a blast
furnace."
Both he and Cruse spent Wednesday at the Phoenix Rescue Mission
watching movies in the shelter's chapel, which was opened Monday to
anyone needing a break from the heat.
The shelter was also turning on hoses so transients could wet their
clothes and had ordered 300 neckerchiefs that can be dipped in water
and tied around the neck, said Bob Reed, a shelter manager.
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said his office was asking Congress to
provide utility assistance for soaring cooling bills the same way it
provides for heating bills in Eastern states.
"Fair is fair. There are too many individuals dying of heat here," Gordon said.
Maricopa County, including Phoenix and its suburbs, has a homeless
population between 10,000 and 12,000 people, said Gloria Hurtado, the
city's human service director.
Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, high temperatures dipped below the
115-degree mark Wednesday for the first time in five days. Authorities
were investigating six deaths since July 14 to see if they were
heat-related.
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