Many locations across northern Arizona experienced a dry winter and a dry spring. This allowed for an active fire season as fuels were already below average at the beginning of the fire season.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS FGZ wrote it up.
Many locations across northern Arizona experienced a dry winter and a dry spring. This allowed for an active fire season as fuels were already below average at the beginning of the fire season.
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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 10, 2:20 AM MST, 5 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 220 AM MST SUN JUN 10 2012 .SYNOPSIS...A WEAK WESTERLY FLOW PATTERN ALOFT WILL BRING CONTINUED DRY AND WARM WEATHER WITH LIGHT TO BREEZY WINDS EACH DAY. A FEW CLOUDS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY AND MONDAY HOWEVER NO PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS. && .DISCUSSION...EXPECT CONTINUED WARM AND DRY WEATHER NEXT WEEK UNDER A WEAK UPPER LEVEL WESTERLY FLOW PATTERN. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW ENOUGH SHALLOW LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FOR A FEW HIGH BASED CUMULUS CLOUDS TODAY AND MONDAY. UNFORTUNATELY THERE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH AVAILABLE MOISTURE FOR ANY SHOWER ACTIVITY. A WARMING TREND THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO RECOVER TO NEAR SEASONAL NORMAL LEVELS THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK ALONG WITH LIGHT TO BREEZY WINDS EACH DAY. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 12Z PACKAGE...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. LIGHT SFC WINDS THROUGH 17Z BECOMING WEST TO SOUTHWEST 15-25 KTS THROUGH SUNSET. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...FOR TODAY...A SHALLOW COOL FRONT EXISTS ALONG A LINE FROM THE FOUR CORNERS TO SELIGMAN. AREAS NORTH OF THIS LINE WILL SEE NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS THIS MORNING. DEEP MIXING THIS AFTERNOON WILL BRING WEST AND SOUTHWEST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON TO ALL OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. LIGHT WIND SPEEDS MONDAY AS LIGHT WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT RETURNS. .TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...LIGHT WESTERLY FLOW CONTINUES OVER THE REGION BRINGING A PERIOD OF VERY DRY WEATHER WITH WARMING TEMPERATURES AND LIGHTER WINDS. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && PUBLIC.........BOHLIN AVIATION.......DL FIRE WEATHER...DL FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 245 AM MST SAT JUN 9 2012 AZZ004>017-038>040-100330- KAIBAB PLATEAU-MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY- COCONINO PLATEAU-YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS HWY 264 NORTHWARD-CHINLE VALLEY- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN COCONINO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN NAVAJO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN APACHE COUNTY- WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM-EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM-WHITE MOUNTAINS- OAK CREEK AND SYCAMORE CANYONS-BLACK MESA AREA- NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS SOUTH OF HWY 264- 245 AM MST SAT JUN 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...NORTHEAST ARIZONA AND WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY WIND ADVISORIES AND RED FLAG WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT ACROSS MOST AREAS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. EXPECT STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS FROM 20 TO 30 MPH SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS RANGING FROM 35 TO 45 MPH. NORTHEASTERN ARIZONA...STRONG WINDS MAY LOFT PLUMES OF BLOWING DUST DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS...LIMITING VISIBILITIES ON AREA ROADWAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO WEATHER HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Cottonwood Wildfire was reported about 15 miles north of Whiteriver. The fire was about 15 acres at the time that it was reported.
A wildfire was reported near Wide Ruins at about 10 acres. Fire crews were on-site for at least 5 days.
The Grand Fire was reported at 1230 PM on May 12th. The fire burned a total of 480 acres in the Grand Canyon National Park and in the Kaibab National Forest. The fire was declared contained by the end of the day on May 18th.
The Poco Fire was reported at 233 PM on June 14 about six miles northeast of Young, Arizona. The fire grew to 11, 950 acres before it was declared contained on July 5. Containment cost were estimated to be 9 million dollars. This area experienced several flash floods and debris flows as the rainy season became active in July and August. Fire fire fighters were injured during containment efforts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2012
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: 395971, 395975, 395978, 395986.