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The Spokane County Medical Examiner has found that 17 people died from heat related illnesses since July 1.
Credit Courtesy of National Weather Service
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Wednesday that 17 people in Spokane County have died from heat related illnesses in the last week.
The Pacific Northwest experienced record breaking temperatures, with the city of Spokane reaching
an all-time high of 109 last Tuesday.
According to the Medical Examiner, the county saw more heat exposure deaths in the last
seven days, than in the last six years. Since 2015, there
had been 13 heat exposure deaths.
Those that died from heat illnesses in the last week ranged in age from 26 to 84 years old. Most were found alone, in a house or apartment without air conditioning.
More than 130 people were killed across US in black swan heatwave that s been called a mass casualty event the-sun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from the-sun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
KXLY
July 2, 2021 7:17 PM Elenee Dao
Updated:
SPOKANE, Wash. – This historic heatwave is killing people in the northwest and some of them are our neighbors. 11 people are now dead; the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office saying they’re likely heat-related.
Four more people were reported dead on Friday morning, and it’s possible that number could keep growing.
The Spokane Fire Department says it’s seeing double the number of calls this week. On average, they get about 120 a day, but during this week of the historic heatwave, they’ve been getting about 240 calls for help each day.
Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer believes many of those calls have some type of connection with the heat.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified 7 deaths since the start of the heat wave that could be linked to the hazardous conditions.
Most of the Inland Northwest saw temperatures of over 100, with Spokane in some areas reaching 110. According to a medical examiner release, the circumstances around 7 deaths appear to be linked to the heat, though the autopsy results are still pending.
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