The Chariot Fire started around 1155 PST on July 6, near Chariot Canyon Road at Oriflamme Canyon Road in Vallecito, San Diego County. The location is east of Sunrise Highway and about 9 miles southeast of Julian.
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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 Chariot Fire started around 1155 PST on July 6, near Chariot Canyon Road at Oriflamme Canyon Road in Vallecito, San Diego County. The location is east of Sunrise Highway and about 9 miles southeast of Julian. The rugged terrain and poor access hindered control efforts. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Laguna, El Prado, Fosters and Horsehaven Campgrounds were evacuated of an unknown number of campers. Twenty campers were evacuated from Shriners Camp to a shelter in Alpine. Sunrise Highway/County Road 1 was closed from SR-79 to Old Highway 80. The fire threatened 120 residential structures and destroyed 118 structures, of undetermined type, plus 2 commercial buildings. The communication site on Monument Peak, as well as other nearby campgrounds in the Cleveland National Forest were threatened as well. Approximately 7 firefighters sustained unknown injuries. The fire burned 7,055 acres before being fully contained around 1700 PST on July 15.
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 6, 7:47 AM PST, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED AVIATION SECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 847 AM PDT SAT JUL 6 2013 .SYNOPSIS... ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A WEAK LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL TRANSPORT DRIER AIR INTO THE MID LEVELS BY THIS AFTERNOON...AND KEEP TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE. NIGHT AND MORNING LOW CLOUDS AND FOG WILL EXTEND INTO THE INLAND VALLEYS...WITH SLOW AFTERNOON CLEARING NEAR THE COAST THROUGH SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST WILL EXPAND WESTWARD...AND CREATE WARMING AND A SHALLOWER MARINE LAYER EARLY NEXT WEEK. FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...ANOTHER WEAK LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL CREATE SLIGHT COOLING AND MINOR DEEPENING OF THE MARINE LAYER. TOWARD NEXT WEEKEND...HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST MAY PROVIDE A GREATER INFLUX OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE FOR MORE CLOUDS AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS. && .DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE... SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES... UPDATE... A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA WILL CREATE THE POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE CWA THIS MORNING...AND OVER THE SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE MOUNTAINS AND THE HIGH DESERTS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. STORMS WILL BE ELEVATED...AND ANY PRECIPITATION ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT DUE TO A DRY LAYER BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE MARINE LAYER AND 13000 FT. STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DRY LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS. A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OVER THE WEST COAST WILL TRANSPORT DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION LATER TODAY...AND KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO OR SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL THROUGH SUNDAY. THE MARINE LAYER WILL DEEPEN TO 2500 FT TONIGHT...CREATING FOG OVER PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN SLOPES. CLEARING OF THE LOW CLOUDS WILL BE SLOWER TO THE COAST TODAY AND TOMORROW. .PREV DISCUSSION... FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY...HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST EXPANDS WESTWARD. THIS WILL BRING THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES OF THE WEEK WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES NEAR AVERAGE NEAR THE COAST AND A LITTLE ABOVE AVERAGE FARTHER INLAND. THE MARINE LAYER WILL BE SHALLOWER WITH NIGHT AND MORNING COASTAL LOW CLOUDS AND FOG EXTENDING NO FARTHER INLAND THAN THE FAR WESTERN VALLEYS. FOR MID WEEK...ANOTHER WEAK TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST. THIS WILL BRING MINOR COOLING AND MINOR DEEPENING OF THE MARINE LAYER. TOWARD NEXT WEEKEND...HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST WILL BEGIN TO EXPAND WESTWARD. THIS WILL BRING A GREATER INFLUX OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE FOR MORE CLOUDS AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE MOUNTAINS. && .AVIATION... 061543Z...THROUGH 1800 UTC...OVERCAST STRATUS RETREATING FROM INLAND 25SM TO IMMEDIATE COAST AND BECOMING BKN-SCT...BASES 1200-1500 FT MSL...TOPS 2500-3000 FT MSL. ADNL SCT-BKN CLDS ALL AREAS BTWN 15000-20000 FT MSL WITH ISOLD EMBED SHRA/TSTM WITH TOPS TO FL350. FROM 1800-07/0200 UTC...SCT STRATUS OVER WATER BTWN 1500-2500 FT MSL AND SCT-BKN CLDS OVER LAND BTWN 10000-25000 FT MSL...AND ISOLD TSTMS OVER MTNS/DESERTS WITH TOPS TO FL450. SMALL HAIL AND SFC WIND GUSTS TO 50KT POSSIBLE VICINITY OF ANY TSTMS. FROM 06/0200-1100 UTC...STRATUS INCRSG TO OVERCAST AND SPREADING INLAND 25-40SM WITH BASES 1000-1500 FT MSL AND TOPS 2000 FT MSL. ADNL SCT-BKN LYRS ALL AREAS BTWN 10000-20000 FT MSL. BTWN 06/1100-1500 UTC...KONT...KRAL...KRNM...KRIV...KHMT...AND OTHER INLAND AIRPORTS/AIRBASES MAY BE IMPACTED WITH CIGS AOB 500 FT AGL/VSBY AOB 3SM BR/FG. KSAN...KSNA...KCRQ AND OTHER COASTAL AIRPORTS LIKELY TO HAVE CIGS AOA 1000 FT AGL/VSBY AOA 6 SM. BTWN 06/1500-1700 UTC...STRATUS BCMG BKN-SCT AND RETREATING TO COAST. && .MARINE... AS SHOWN BY MODELS YESTERDAY...ANOTHER SURGE OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE AND UNSTABLE AIR HAS MOVED UP FROM THE SOUTH. HAD SOME THUNDERSTORMS POP UP BETWEEN 0600-0645 PDT ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND AND OCEANSIDE.. AND TRACK NORTH AND EAST OF SANTA CATALINA ISLAND AROUND 25 KT. THESE HAVE SINCE DISSIPATED...BUT CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS MORNING. SINCE THUNDERSTORMS DID CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER WATER UNTIL 1230 PDT YESTERDAY...FOR SAFETY SAKE EXTENDED TODAYS THREAT DURATION OVER WATER UNTIL 1400 PDT...BUT EXPECT THREAT AREA WILL LIKELY HAVE SHIFTED WELL INLAND BY THEN. AGAIN THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE ISOLATED CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING STRIKES...AND GALE FORCE WIND GUSTS IN THE DOWNDRAFTS NORTH-NORTHEAST OF ANY SHOWERS OR VIRGA SHAFTS. OTHER MARINE WEATHER CONCERN...ELEVATED SURF AND HIGH RIP CURRENT POTENTIAL OVER NEXT 7 DAYS. SERIES OF SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SWELLS BUILDING TODAY THROUGH NEXT WEEK. HEIGHTS ARE GENERALLY 3 FT OR LESS UNTIL MID WEEK. HOWEVER PREVAILING PERIODS ARE IN THE HIGH TEENS...FAVORABLE FOR GENERATING SURF HEIGHTS DOUBLE OR MORE THAN THE SWELL HEIGHTS...MAIN IMPACT SOUTH FACING BEACHES OF ORANGE COUNTY AND NORTHERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. LOCAL WNW SWELL ALSO PICKING UP DUE TO NEAR GALE FORCE NW WINDS OVER OFFSHORE WATERS...SO EXPOSED BEACHES SOUTH OF DEL MAR LIKELY TO SEE AVERAGE SURF HEIGHTS CLOSER TO 4 FT. WILL PROBABLY ISSUE AN EXPERIMENTAL BEACH HAZARD STATEMENT WITH THE AFTERNOON FORECAST PACKAGE. && .FIRE WEATHER... A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA WILL CREATE THE POSSIBILITY OF DRY LIGHTNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ABOVE A DRY LAYER IN THE ATMOSPHERE...WHICH WILL PREVENT MUCH...IF ANY...ACCUMULATION. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS. A TROUGH ALONG THE WEST COAST WILL TRANSPORT DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION LATER TODAY...AND HELP KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO OR BELOW NORMAL THROUGH SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL REBUILD OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST EARLY NEXT WEEK...WHICH WILL CREATE A SHALLOWER MARINE LAYER...AND KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO SEASONAL AVERAGES. && .SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA...NONE. PZ...MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHTNING OVER THE COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 200 PM PDT. && PUBLIC...MARTIN/JJT FIRE WEATHER...JJT AVIATION/MARINE...BALFOUR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 801 AM PDT SAT JUL 6 2013 CAZ042-043-048-050-055>058-060>062-PZZ750-775-071515- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE- SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS- COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS- COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT 30 NM- WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND- 801 AM PDT SAT JUL 6 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE AREA THIS MORNING...AND OVER THE SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND HIGH DESERTS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ON FRIDAY...ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN WEATHER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA... HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. JJT
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: 469418.