Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is leading the charge to have the federal government reclassify extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters.
Maricopa County, Arizona, officials report that 23 people have died from heat-related problems so far this summer, while 322 other deaths are under investigation.
The petition calls for FEMA to update its regulations and recognize extreme heat and wildfire smoke as eligible events for major disaster declarations.
A man has been arrested on charges including murder in connection with the death of his 2-year-old daughter, who died after being pulled from a hot car earlier this week in Marana.