The Mountain Fire started around 1243 PST on July 15, near the junction of Highway 243 and Highway 74. It burned east of Mountain Center, through the Apple Canyon and Bonita Vista areas, and then along the Desert Divide and southern portion of the San Jacinto Wilderness.
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.
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 SGX wrote it up.
The Mountain Fire started around 1243 PST on July 15, near the junction of Highway 243 and Highway 74. It burned east of Mountain Center, through the Apple Canyon and Bonita Vista areas, and then along the Desert Divide and southern portion of the San Jacinto Wilderness. CAL FIRE Investigators have determined the cause of the Mountain Fire to be an electrical equipment failure on private property. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Idyllwild and Fern Valley areas, including the San Jacinto State Park Wilderness, Forest Service Wilderness and Forest Service campgrounds. Other evacuations include the Trails End Community at the top of Morris Ranch Road, the Andreas Canyon Club, south of Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, Bonita Vista, Pine Springs and the Zen Mountain Center off Apple Canyon Road. Portions of Highways 74 and 243 were closed in this area. Several trails and campgrounds were closed as well. The Palm Springs Tram was shut down for the duration of the fire. The fire destroyed 3 mobile homes and 3 residences and damaged one other residence in Bonita Vista. In Pine Springs, 1 commercial building, a workshop, garage and cabin were destroyed. In addition, 11 other outbuildings and 4-6 vehicles were destroyed. Any possible injuries are unknown. The fire burned 27,531 acres before being fully contained around 1700 PST on July 30th.
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 Jul 15, 12:19 PM PST, 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 119 PM PDT MON JUL 15 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A TROUGH OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL BRING DRY...SEASONAL WEATHER TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH NIGHT AND MORNING LOW CLOUDS ALONG THE COAST. STRONGER ONSHORE FLOW WILL BRING GUSTY WEST WINDS DURING THE AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS TODAY AND TUESDAY. MONSOON FLOW DUE TO A NEARBY UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL BRING POSSIBLE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE MOUNTAINS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS...AND THEN MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...INCLUDING THE VALLEY AND COASTAL SECTIONS AT TIMES. && .DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE... SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES... VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWS MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...EXCEPT FOR SOME CUMULUS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH DESERTS. WITH SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW MOVING IN ALOFT DUE TO A TROUGH OFF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST...DRYING WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH TUESDAY...RESULTING IN SEASONAL WEATHER AND MARINE LAYER STRATUS DURING THE NIGHTS AND MORNINGS ALONG THE COAST. THUNDERSTORM/SHOWER DEVELOPMENT OVER THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE AFTERNOONS ARE VERY UNLIKELY DUE TO A LACK OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE. THIS PATTERN HAS ALSO BROUGHT STRONGER ONSHORE FLOW WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY...BRINGING GUSTY WEST WINDS THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS DURING THE AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS. AN UPPER LOW...CURRENTLY OVER NORTHERN TEXAS ACCORDING TO WATER VAPOR SATELLITE...WILL CONTINUE TO MOVES SOUTHWEST TO A POSITION JUST SOUTH OR ARIZONA/NEW MEXICO BY LATE WEDNESDAY...AND SO MID-TO-UPPER LEVEL FLOW WILL START TO SHIFT TO THE EAST DIRECTION. GFS AND NAM PRECIPITABLE WATER SHOW ONLY 0.9 INCHES AT MOST FOR WEDNESDAY...SO DAY-TIME CONVECTION CHANCES LOOK MINUSCULE FOR THAT DAY. HOWEVER...THE CONTINUED EASTERLY FLOW WILL START TO BRING INCREASING MID-LEVEL MOISTURE ON THURSDAY...JUST ENOUGH TO INCLUDE A CHANCE OF PRECIP OVER THE MOUNTAINS THAT AFTERNOON. MOISTURE INCREASES FURTHER ON FRIDAY...WHICH WILL KEEP A CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS/SHOWERS FOR THE MOUNTAINS. BY LATE FRIDAY...GFS AND ECMWF SHOW THE LOW MOVING INTO CENTRAL BAJA...AND WITH A RIDGE TO THE NORTH OVER NEVADA/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...EASTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVER OUR AREA...AND MOISTURE WILL DEEPEN SIGNIFICANTLY. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO FORM FROM AFTERNOON SURFACE HEATING OVER THE MOUNTAINS...BECAUSE THE CLOUDY SKIES WILL INHIBIT SUCH HEATING TO TAKE PLACE. HOWEVER...THE GFS INDICATES A FEW VORT MAXES MOVING THROUGH DURING THE WEEKEND...WHICH SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO TRIGGER SCATTERED SHOWERS DURING THE DAY AND NIGHT. MODELS ALSO SHOW INCREASING ELEVATED INSTABILITY DURING THAT TIME...WHICH COULD RESULT IN SOME THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL. ALTHOUGH THE FOCUS OF THE PRECIP WILL LIKELY BE OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS...PRECIP WILL PROBABLY MOVE INTO THE VALLEYS AND COASTAL AREAS AT TIMES. CHANCES FOR SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE INTO MONDAY AS THE FLOW TURNS MORE TO THE SOUTHEAST AND THE LOW MOVES TO THE NORTHWEST OFF THE COAST. CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS PRETTY GOOD...AND MODELS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT IN SHOWING THIS PATTERN. THUS...HAVE NOT MADE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. && .AVIATION... 151955Z...THROUGH 16/0200 UTC...FEW-SCT STRATUS OVER WATER/IMMEDIATE COAST BETWEEN 1000-1500 FT MSL WITH ADNL SCT CLDS ALL AREAS BETWEEN 10000-25000 FT MSL. BETWEEN 16/0300-0700 UTC...STRATUS INCRSG TO BKN-OVC AND SPREADING INLAND 15SM. BASES 1000 FT MSL TOPS 1500 FT MSL. ADNL SCT-FEW CLDS ALL AREAS BETWEEN 10000-15000 FT MSL. 16/0700-1500 UTC...OVC STRATUS OVER WATER/EXTENDING INLAND 15SM. FORECASTER CONFIDENCE HIGH IN CIGS 800-1000 FT AGL DURING THIS TIME PERIOD OVER KSAN/KCRQ WITH VSBY AOA 5SM BR/HZ....OTRW SCT CLDS BETWEEN 15000-25000 FT MSL. && .MARINE... NO SIGNIFICANT MARINE WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND...BUILDING SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SWELL. CURRENT THINKING IS HIGH SURF CRITERIA WILL BE REACHED ON THURSDAY AND CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY FOR ORANGE COUNTY AND NORTHERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. WILL REEVALUATE WITH NEXT SEVERAL MODEL RUNS. IF CONSISTENT...THEN WOULD EXPECT GREATER IMPACTS WITH THIS EPISODE COMPARED TO LAST WEEK. THE OCCURRENCE OF THE FULL MOON NEXT MONDAY WILL CREATE SPRING TIDES..RANGING FROM NEGATIVE 1 FOOT TO PLUS 7 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOW LOW WATER. THIS WILL YIELD STRONGER RIP CURRENTS DURING THE EBBING TIDES...AND MAKE MORE COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOW LYING PROPERTY VULNERABLE DURING THE HIGHEST TIDES TO WAVE DAMAGE/FLOODING/BEING WASHED OVER. && .FIRE WEATHER... MODEST DRYING AND INCREASING WESTERLY WINDS THROUGH THE WIND PRONE PASSES AND CANYONS WILL ELEVATE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THROUGH TUESDAY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. SEVERAL HOURS OF RH 10-15 PERCENT AND WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH OR MORE ARE EXPECTED LATE MON AND TUE AFTERNOONS/EVENINGS. WEDNESDAY WILL BE A TRANSITION DAY FROM SOUTHWEST FLOW TO SOUTHEAST FLOW ALOFT. THE WINDS WILL BE WEAKER AND HUMIDITIES WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. && .SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA...NONE. PZ...NONE. && PUBLIC...HARRISON AVIATION/MARINE...BALFOUR FIRE WEATHER...MOEDE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 500 AM PDT MON JUL 15 2013 CAZ042-043-152300- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- 500 AM PDT MON JUL 15 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...A LONG-PERIOD SOUTH SWELL WILL INCREASE THE THREAT FOR DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS...PARTICULARLY ON SOUTH FACING BEACHES. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...INCREASING MONSOONAL FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN WEATHER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA... HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. CAZ048-050-057-152300- SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE- SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS- 500 AM PDT MON JUL 15 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...INCREASING MONSOONAL FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN WEATHER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA... HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. CAZ055-056-058-060>062-152300- SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS- COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS- 500 AM PDT MON JUL 15 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...INCREASING MONSOONAL FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN WEATHER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA... HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. MOEDE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in California, July 2013
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: 469082.