PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — In 2025, 31 children died of heatstroke in vehicles nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). With our first heat wave of the year in the very near future, Portland Fire & Rescue reminds parents to never leave a child or pet unattended in a car.
Rick Graves, with Portland Fire & Rescue, said, “Cars heat up really quickly in a short period of time. A car in an 80-degree day can go up to 123 degrees, and that’s quite dangerous for anyone.”
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He says that children and pets are especially susceptible to heat changes.
“Don’t think you can run a quick errand and just hustle into a store, even just go to the restroom yourself if you need to,” said Graves. “If you have to stop, please take your children with you because those cars heat up and it’d be quite a dangerous situation for the kids.”
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According to the NHTSA, rolling down windows or parking in the shade is not enough to keep the inside of a car cool.
Tips to prevent car deaths include placing a personal item, like a purse, in the back seat as a reminder to check.
You could also write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
In your home, store car keys out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
Graves adds, “If you have a child that’s experiencing a heat emergency, it’s best just to call 911 and have first responders — Portland Fire will come as well as the American Medical Response (AMR) [to] help and triage. We never want to guess if you suspect that your child is experiencing a heat emergency. That’s a 911 call. Call 911 and have the professionals come out and triage your child.”
Remember three steps: stop, look, and lock.
