Phoenix Firefighters Battle Extreme Heat

Documentary filmmakers Nita Blum-Reddick and Jonathan Pickett recently produced "A New Inferno," a short film embedded with Station 18 firefighters in Phoenix. The documentary was filmed during the city's hottest days in 2025, a year marked by record global temperatures, with on-site temperatures reaching 118 degrees Fahrenheit.

The film highlights the life-saving efforts of Phoenix Fire Department personnel, focusing on the specialized ice bag immersion technique used to treat life-threatening heat stroke. The filmmakers aim to promote wider adoption of this protocol nationwide.

Beyond immediate emergency responses, "A New Inferno" underscores how urban heat is intertwined with broader crises like homelessness and substance use disorders. These issues amplify each other, illustrating the brutal impact of climate change on disenfranchised populations.

Through their work, Blum-Reddick and Pickett aspire to shift public perception, portraying heat as a silent, invisible threat that profoundly reshapes urban life and disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable.