A small desert city dubbed “hottest in the United States” suffers deadly wildfires, with the mayor “unsurprised” about their new title.
Needles in California recently surpassed neighbouring Phoenix, Arizona, as the hottest place in the US when it reached an average temperature of 103.2 degrees Fahrenheit (a shade below 40C).
The Arizona State Climate Office officially welcomed Needles’ scorching achievement into an exclusive club of places with triple-digit average monthly temperatures, alongside other California towns Palm Springs and Blythe.
READ MORE: ‘High-risk heat dome’ headed for distinct part of UK as scorching 30C weather returns
There’s lots of quality news coming out of the US.
“We probably did [beat the record], quite easily,” Needles’ mayor Jan Jernigan said, clearly unfazed by the moniker of hottest US town.
(Image: TikTok/City of Needles)
The 5,200-strong population of Needles has reportedly adapted to its harsh climate by holding events early in the day. According to the Daily Mail, food distribution events start at 5am, ending by 8am when the heat becomes too intense to function in.
The intense heat also brings other, more deadly challenges. In late June a huge brush fire ignited near Needles, burning more than 70 acres of land and destroying structures. The flames eventually crossed into Arizona and burnt 143 acres there.
The savage ‘Needles Fire’ burnt for days, menacing the already-torched Earth and forcing hundreds of residents to flee the area. Drastically high temperatures, unique to this summer, have been exacerbating the outbreaks which have burnt more than 30 times as many acres as years before.
(Image: TikTok/City of Needles)
The people of Needles and the surrounding area are no strangers to wildfires, a phenomena sharply on the rise. According to official California Government data, in 2024 alone there’s already been 4,822 wildfires in the state compared with 3,926 in all of 2023.
The amount of burned areas in the summer in northern and central California increased five times from 1996 to 2021 compared to the 24 year period before, something scientists attributed to human-caused climate change.
In July more than 16,000 north California residents were forced to evacuate their homes by a blazing inferno that ravaged the area.
(Image: TikTok/City of Needles)
“You’ve [got to] be waist-deep in the Colorado River,” said City Manager Patrick Martinez, referring to Needles’ three beaches along the stretch of water which are a merciful sanctuary for residents.
Over the years, Needles has invested more than £6million in improving its riverfront areas including parks and infrastructure in an effort to enhance the quality of life for its residents.
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