Attorney General Kris Mayes is among more than a dozen state attorneys general who want extreme heat and wildfire smoke to be eligible for major disaster declarations.
In a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the attorneys general said climate change is driving increased heat and smoke impacts that threaten public health and create financial burdens for communities.
"Extreme heat and wildfire smoke events are devastating because of their severe impact on public health and the environment, yet they are not currently recognized as major disasters by FEMA," says Mayes. "Updating FEMA's regulations to include these events will provide much-needed resources and help us better protect our residents."
The letter mentions the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome that caused hundreds of deaths and widespread power outages, as well as the numerous large wildfires in Canada last year that blanketed parts of the Midwest and East Coast in smoke.
In 2022 more than 1,000 people died in Arizona from heat-related causes and there were more than 4,000 confirmed hospital and emergency room visits to treat illnesses associated with the heat.
Mayes also urged FEMA to provide HEPA air filters and other supplies to vulnerable populations to counter the effects of wildfire smoke.