California, 2002

Wildfire in California, May 13, 2002

May 13, 2002 · NWS SGX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Extremely dry conditions, above normal temperatures, and gusty winds, helped a brush fire, started by an arsonist, to quickly consume 1100 acres before being controlled. Two trucks and one structure were destroyed.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$250,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.

Extremely dry conditions, above normal temperatures, and gusty winds, helped a brush fire, started by an arsonist, to quickly consume 1100 acres before being controlled. Two trucks and one structure were destroyed. Many residential homes suffered smoke damage and residents were evacuated. Traffic was halted on Highway 241. No injuries occurred.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 13, 1:30 PM PST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 1:30 PM PST, 15 minutes before
EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
230 PM PDT MON MAY 13 2002

.SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH ALONG THE WEST COAST WILL BRING
COOLER WEATHER THROUGH MIDWEEK. STRONGER ONSHORE FLOW AND A COASTAL
EDDY WILL DEEPEN THE MARINE LAYER FOR MORE COASTAL CLOUDS WEDNESDAY
AND THURSDAY. BREEZY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS EACH AFTERNOON.

.DISCUSSION...TEMPERATURES REACHED INTO THE 90S IN THE INLAND
VALLEYS AND THE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS THIS AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON...AND
EXCEEDED 100 IS A FEW DESERT SPOTS. EXCEPT FOR LINGERING HIGH CLOUDS
SKIES WERE CLEAR WAY PAST THE OUTER ISLANDS. DEWPOINTS REMAINED
QUITE LOW BUT WERE BEGINNING TO RECOVER AT THE COAST. ANY MARINE
LAYER CLOUDS THAT FORM WILL BE LATER TONIGHT AND CONFINED TO THE
IMMEDIATE COAST.

IT WILL TURN COOLER TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS THE GRADIENTS TURNS
MORE STRONGLY ONSHORE AHEAD OF A LOW PRESSURE TROF OVER THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST. STRONGER WEST-NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL RESULT IN BREEZY
AFTERNOONS AND EVENING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS...AND WILL ALSO
SPIN UP A COASTAL EDDY TUESDAY. THE RESULTING DEEPER MARINE LAYER
WILL BRING COASTAL CLOUDS FARTHER INLAND EACH NIGHT.

THIS TROUGH DEPARTS EARLY THURSDAY AND A BRIEF RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE
SOUTHWEST THURSDAY AFTERNOON BUT MOVES QUICKLY EAST FRIDAY. THE LONG
RANGE MODELS FORECAST A BIG PATTERN CHANGE OVER THE WEEKEND BY
PROJECTING A HIGH AMPLITUDE PATTERN ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BOTH THE MRF
AND ECMWF PROJECT A BROAD RIDGE OVER THE PLAINS STATES AND A DEEP
CLOSED LOW OFF THE OREGON COAST SUNDAY MORNING. IF THIS
DEVELOPS...SOUTHERN CA WOULD BE IN FOR A COOL AND BREEZY STRETCH OF
WEATHER EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.SAN...NONE.

MOEDE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Orange

When
May 13, 1:45 PM PST to 9:34 PM PST
Where
Orange County, 3 mi E of Mission Viejo
Property damage
$250,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5291427.