And this comes after park officials have warned visitors not to test the excessive temperatures, which aid in wildfires burning up California, at the risk of selfies.
Too Hot to Handle?
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The scorching heat that is gripping Death Valley, which reached a high of 128 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend, has claimed at least one life so far.
Apparently, Yes
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An unidentified motorcyclist died from intense heat exposure while another person had to be transported to a hospital for “severe heat illness”, according to Death Valley National Park officials.
Unable to Help
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In a statement, the park said that the two people were part of a group of six motorcyclists cruising through the Badwater Basin. The four other people had to be treated at the scene.
Emergency medical helicopters couldn’t respond, as the aircraft was incapable of safely flying over 120 F.
Think Twice
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According to park superintendent Mike Reynolds, “High heat like this can pose real threats to your health”.
He added: “Besides not being able to cool down while riding due to high ambient air temperatures, experiencing Death Valley by motorcycle when it is this hot is further challenged by the necessary heavy safety gear worn to reduce injuries during an accident”.
Selfie Time
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Disregarding warnings from park officials, multiple American visitors ventured out to experience the record-melting heat for themselves.
An Otherworldly Vibe
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“I was excited that it was so hot,” said Drew Belt from Mississippi. Belt was passing through Death Valley on his way to the California Mount Whitney summit. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s like running on Mars.”
Too Curious to Care
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But the alluring heat seems to have attracted tourists from across the pond as well, as hundreds of Europeans from France, Spain, the UK, and Switzerland flocked to the desert which is so different from their home countries’ snow-capped mountains and lush, green hills.
Very Different
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“It’s impressive,” said Thomas Mrzliek of Basel, Switzerland. Referring to the triple-digit heat, he stated: “It’s like a wave that hits when you get out of the car, but it’s a very dry heat. So it’s not as in Europe”.
A Tough Place
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Not only is Death Valley the biggest national park outside Alaska, but it’s also one of the harshest environments on Earth.
And it was in Death Valley where the highest temperature was officially recorded back in July 1913 – a sizzling 134 F. Some experts, however, dispute that reading and say the actual record was 130 F from July 2021.
Protect the People
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Just last week, the Biden administration recommended the first-ever safety standard designed to protect workers and communities from the fatal effects of extreme heat.
And with good reason, too…
Last Weekend’s Weather
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Various locations in the west and Pacific north-west were predicted to tie or break older heat records last weekend. And this was definitely the case, as many regions in northern Carolina exceeded 110 F, with the city of Redding burning up a record 119 F.
Hot Summer Nights
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On Sunday, Phoenix set a new daily record for the hottest low temperature: the area never dipped below 92 F.
Melting the Records
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Oregon also got into the triple-digit regions, where various records were smashed – including in Salem, where Sunday brought a boiling 103 F to the area, busting the previous record of 99 F set in 1960.
Be Careful
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Even higher elevations such as around Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border, were included as part of rare heat advisories’ warnings, as Reno’s weather services cautioned against “major heat risk impacts, even in the mountains”.
Where’s There’s Heat…
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Increased wildfire risks are just one of the many consequences of such extreme temperatures, especially due to the mixture of hot, dry, and windy conditions, the National Weather Services warned.
Runaway Fires
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On late Saturday, residents of southern California were ordered to evacuate parts of Santa Barbara County, where over 13,000 acres of land had been burned up by Lake Fire, according to Cal Fire.
Not Enough Manpower
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Over 1,000 firefighters were battling the Lake Fire flames, which had grown to more than 34 square miles by Monday night.
Deadly Circumstances
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Aiding in the risk of runaway wildfires is the abundance of dried-out vegetation in the West, along with the intense heat and longstanding drought.
Leave to Live
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The former Neverland Ranch, once owned by the late pop star Michael Jackson, was one of multiple areas under evacuation orders to avoid the blaze, which was just 8% contained.
Burning up the Land
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Another one, the Royal Fire, charred through more than 150 acres of forest west of Lake Tahoe, resulting in ash rain falling on the tourist town of Truckee, California.
By Monday night, there was 0% containment.
Watch the Weather
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By Tuesday, over 160 million Americans (or about half the population in the US), were impacted by heat warnings.
And it doesn’t seem to be cooling off yet as, according to warnings issued by the US Weather Service, the “dangerous” heat was predicted to continue in the western parts of the country for the rest of the week.
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