78-year-old man burned crossing Phoenix street barefoot

PHOENIX - Authorities say a man was taken to a Phoenix hospital after burning his feet on a neighborhood street Saturday.

Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Jacobs said that around 1 p.m. the 78-year-old walked outside barefoot trying to catch up with his mail carrier near 30th Street and Campbell Avenue.

He apparently started to walk across the street then tried to return home, fell, and tried to crawl back on his hands and knees.

Terri Crian and her sister helped carry him onto the grass and into his home.

"He was burned really bad," she said. "He must not have realized how hot it was."

"The pavement can be 140 degrees," Jacobs said.

Jacobs said in just the past two weeks firefighters have responded to about  300 heat-related calls for help.

Friday, firefighters rescued two hikers who were overcome by the heat.

"We call these incidents not accidents because they are preventable," Jacobs said. "People need to be accountable and prepare." 

Jacobs said the man was transported to the Arizona Burn Center at Maricopa Medical Center with second degree burns to his feet.