Wildfire in Wyoming, April 13 to 14, 2002

Name: Wildfire in Wyoming, April 13 to 14, 2002
Start: 2002-04-13T15:15
End: 2002-04-14T00:00
Location: Wyoming

April 13 to 14, 2002 · NWS RIW · 1 event in 1 county or zone

How the fire was started can not be confirmed. After fire started, winds of 50 mph rapidly spread the fire across Superior.

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $261,000
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 RIW wrote it up.

How the fire was started can not be confirmed. After fire started, winds of 50 mph rapidly spread the fire across Superior. Four homes were destroyed, 23 buildings were destroyed, including garages and sheds. Also, 9 vehicles were destroyed. Damage dollar amount was based on information provided by the victims, insurance companies and city officials.

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 Riverton, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 13, 1:39 PM MST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 13, 1:39 PM MST, 1 hour 36 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
239 PM MDT SAT APR 13 2002

STRONG 130KT JET OVER THE NORTHWEST UNITED STATES...PASSING TO THE
NORTH OF WYOMING.  RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE PACIFIC INTO WYOMING
LYING ON ITS SIDE.  NEXT SYSTEM SHOWING UP ON WV SAT IMAGERY JUST OFF
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA...CONNECTING WITH A SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE PLUME.
AT THE SURFACE...LEE SIDE TROF EXTENDING INTO WYOMING FROM ALBERTA.
UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES TODAY WITH MANY LOCALES RISING INTO
THE MID 70S.  SUNDAY WILL BE WARMER YET WITH MORE POTENTIAL AS 7H
TEMPS WARM A TAD MORE...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR RECORD BREAKERS.  WEAK
WAVE MOVING IN FLOW TONIGHT MAY BRING SOME SHOWERS TO THE NORTHWEST
MOUNTAINS.  RIDGE FLATTENS TONIGHT AND FLOW BECOMES WESTERLY WITH
MAIN SYSTEM JUST NORTH OF VANCOUVER.  THEN BY 00Z MONDAY...LOW OVER
SOUTHERN BC AND RFQ OF JET MAKING FOR WINDY AREAS OVER CENTRAL
WYOMING.  AS MAIN SYSTEM MOVES CLOSER SUNDAY AFTERNOON...PRECIP TO
BEGIN MOVING INTO BIG HORNS AND EVENTUALLY SOUTHWARD AS FRONT MOVES
THROUGH THE CWA MONDAY NIGHT.  QUESTION IS HOW MUCH MOISTURE IS THIS
GOING TO HAVE?  ONCE THE SYSTEM MOVES ONSHORE...IT IS LIKELY
THAT IT WILL LOSE THE SUBTROPIC CONNECTION.  BELIEVE NOW THAT IT IS
NOT GOING TO BRING AS MUCH PRECIP OR AS COLD OF TEMPS AS PREVIOUSLY
THOUGHT.  IT WILL HAVE QUITE A BIT OF ENERGY AND INSTABILITY.
WITH THAT SAID...MOSTLY CONVECTIVE SHOWERS EXPECTED WITH SNOW IN
HIGHER TERRAIN...LIS MONDAY DOWN TO -2 EAST CENTRAL WITH CAPES IN
THE 200 TO 400 RANGE SO WILL KEEP THE MENTION OF THUNDER.  SNOW
LEVELS DROPPING EACH DAY WITH EACH FRONT.  FRONTS ALSO TO BRING
COOLER TEMPS MONDAY AND TUESDAY...WITH TUESDAYS BRINGING TEMPS DOWN
INTO THE 45 TO 50 RANGE. IN THE EXTENDED...UNSETTLED WEATHER
CONTINUES THROUGH THURSDAY...THEN DRIER AND MODERATING TEMPS MOVE IN
AS FLOW BECOMES MORE ZONAL FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

.RIW...NONE.

TWB

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, Sweetwater

When: April 13, 3:15 PM MST to April 14, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Sweetwater County, Superior
Property damage: $261,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.660, -108.879 (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

Every storm in Wyoming in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Wyoming, April 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: 5288094.