Wildfire in Florida, December 16 to 22, 2010

Name: Wildfire in Florida, December 16 to 22, 2010
Start: 2010-12-16T16:30
End: 2010-12-22T23:59
Location: Florida

December 16 to 22, 2010 · NWS JAX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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 JAX wrote it up.

Dry conditions assisted the growth of a brush fire in southwest Duval county, named the Normandy fire. Units from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department were initially called to the intersection of Normandy Boulevard and Duval County Road 217 at 4:30pm for a report of a brush fire. Upon arrival, fire units reported that they had several small spot fires merging into larger fire. They immediately requested additional units. The fire was brought under control around 9:30 pm that evening with forestry announcing the fire was 50% contained and no homes were threatened. The cause of the fire is under investigation, although it is believed a truck blew a tire and the axle scraped along the road, creating the small spot fires that led to the larger fire. On the 16h, about 2,000 acres were burned. By December 22nd, the fire was 95% contained an burned about 2600 acres.

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 Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 16, 2:30 PM EST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 2:30 PM EST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
230 PM EST THU DEC 16 2010

.SYNOPTIC...
HIGH PRESSURE IS BEGINNING TO PUSH EAST AS LOW TO MID LEVEL OVERRUNNING
CONTINUES TO ADVECT OUT OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY AND UPPER
GULF. THIS SITUATION IS MAINTAINING OVERCAST CONDITIONS FOR THE
BIG BEND AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA AS WARM AIR CONTINUES TO RIDE OVER
THE COOLER SURFACE AIR. RIGHT NOW THERE IS A SHARP DEMARCATION LINE
BETWEEN OVERCAST SKIES AND CLEAR SKIES THAT EXTENDS FROM HIGH
SPRINGS THROUGH LAKE CITY TO NEAR BRUNSWICK. THIS LINE IS SLOWLY
DROPPING SOUTHEAST AND EXTENDING INTO NORTH FLORIDA.

WITH A ZONAL FLOW PATTERN THE FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER THE TENNESSEE
RIVER VALLEY WILL DROP SLOWLY INTO THE AREA UNTIL IT POSITIONS
ITSELF NEAR THE FLORIDA-GEORGIA STATE LINE ON FRIDAY. AFTER THAT
AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE WILL PUSH THROUGH ON SATURDAY AND
SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A GOOD CHANCE OF LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY
MODERATE RAINFALL. WHILE THIS WILL NOT BE A DROUGHT BUSTING RAIN
SOME AREAS COULD SEE 1 TO 2 INCHES BY THE TIME THE FRONTAL SYSTEM
MOVES OFFSHORE ON SUNDAY.

AFTER THAT HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR THE EARLY PORTION OF THE
WEEK WITH A COLD AIR MASS MOVING IN BRING US OVERNIGHT LOWS ABOUT
10 DEGREES BELOW CLIMATOLOGY.

.AVIATION...
VFR CLOUD DECK AROUND 8KFT MAINLY WEST OF TAF SITES CONTINUES TO
DRIFT EAST AND WILL BREAK APART SOMEWHAT AS IT MOVES INTO TAF SITES
THIS EVENING AND HAVE GENERALLY SCT/BKN MID CLOUD DECKS ARRIVING
AFTER 00Z ALONG WITH LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AS 30-40 KNOT SWLY JET.
HAVE IGNORED MUCH OF THE GFS MOS GUIDANCE WHICH SUGGESTS LIFR/IFR
OVERCAST CIGS AT ALL TAF SITES AFTER 06Z...BELIEVE THE BOUNDARY
LAYER IS STILL DRIER THAN MODELS DEPICTING AND HAVE TRENDED TOWARD
JUST A SCATTERED DECK AROUND 5 KFT TOWARD MORNING WITH MINIMAL VSBY
RESTRICTIONS. AFTER 12Z WITH LOWER LEVELS MOISTENING AHEAD OF COLD
FRONT HAVE BROUGHT CEILINGS DOWN TO MVFR LEVELS BUT STILL A BIT
HIGHER THAN GFS-MOS SUGGESTS.

&&

.MARINE...
HAVE CHANGED SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HEADLINES TO SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
DUE TO WINDS (SI.Y) SINCE WILL NOT SEE ANY SEAS AT 7FT OR ABOVE WITH
THIS SWLY PUSH AHEAD OF FRONT AND EXPECT CONDS TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT
THEN DECREASE BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS FRIDAY MORNING. AS FRONT SINKS
INTO COASTAL WATERS ON FRIDAY NIGHT...WINDS WILL BE LIGHT WITH NO
HEADLINES EXPECTED INTO SATURDAY. NORTH WINDS EXPECTED TO INCREASE
TO ADVISORY LEVELS ON SAT NIGHT/SUNDAY IN THE WAKE OF DEPARTING LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM BEFORE DECREASING AGAIN ON MONDAY. THEN ANOTHER
INCREASE IN SWLY FLOW ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
THIS AFTERNOON WILL FEATURE DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDS WITH GUSTY
SWLY WINDS AT 15-20G25 MPH. RH VALUES RANGING FROM 30-35% ACRS SERN
GA WITH FIRE DANGER STATEMENT IN EFFECT AND RH VALUES FROM 20-30%
ACRS NERN FL WITH A RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT. NO HEADLINES IN THE
REGION FRIDAY/SATURDAY AS SOME MUCH NEEDED RAINFALL TAKES PLACE.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMG  50  64  48  55 /  20  60  70  70
SSI  51  65  52  61 /  10  50  70  70
JAX  49  69  52  66 /  10  50  60  80
SGJ  51  70  53  68 /  10  30  40  80
GNV  48  72  53  69 /  10  40  50  70
OCF  48  74  54  72 /   0  20  40  60

&&

.JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ALACHUA-BAKER-
     BRADFORD-CLAY-COLUMBIA-DUVAL-FLAGLER-GILCHRIST-MARION-
     NASSAU-PUTNAM-ST JOHNS-UNION.

GA...NONE.
AM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 11 AM EST FRIDAY FOR
     ALTAMAHA SOUND GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM
     OFFSHORE-FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST AUGUSTINE FL 20 NM TO 60 NM
     OFFSHORE-ST AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM
     OFFSHORE.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 5 AM EST FRIDAY FOR
     ALTAMAHA SOUND GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL OUT 20 NM.

&&

SANDRIK/HESS/KEEGAN

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 16, 8:30 AM EST, 8 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
830 AM EST THU DEC 16 2010

FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040-GAZ132>136-149>154-162>166-170845-
HAMILTON-SUWANNEE-COLUMBIA-BAKER-NASSAU-DUVAL-UNION-BRADFORD-CLAY-
ST JOHNS-GILCHRIST-ALACHUA-PUTNAM-FLAGLER-MARION-COFFEE-
JEFF DAVIS-BACON-APPLING-WAYNE-ATKINSON-WARE-PIERCE-BRANTLEY-
INLAND GLYNN-COASTAL GLYNN-ECHOLS-CLINCH-CHARLTON-INLAND CAMDEN-
COASTAL CAMDEN-
830 AM EST THU DEC 16 2010

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL RESULT IN
DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
AS A COLD FRONT AND LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVE ACROSS THE AREA.

A LIGHT FREEZE IS POSSIBLE OVER INLAND AREAS MONDAY MORNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED AT THIS TIME.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN JACKSONVILLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/JAX.

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Duval

When: December 16, 4:30 PM EST to December 22, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Duval forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

On the 16h, about 2,000 acres were burned. By December 22nd, the fire was 95% contained an burned about 2600 acres.

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 Florida in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, December 2010

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: 266540.