Arizona, 2014

Wildfire in Arizona, June 1 to 8, 2014

June 1 to 8, 2014 · NWS TWC · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos. and was officially contained on June 8th after a total of 73,682 acres were consumed.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 TWC wrote it up.

The Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos. and was officially contained on June 8th after a total of 73,682 acres were consumed. No injuries, fatalities, or damage were reported.

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 9:35 PM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 9:35 PM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
935 PM MST SAT MAY 31 2014

.SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING DRY CONDITIONS WITH HOT
TEMPERATURES INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. NEAR RECORD HIGHS
POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. A WEATHER SYSTEM PUSHING INTO THE
REGION NORTH OF OUR AREA WILL KNOCK A FEW DEGREES OFF THE DAYTIME
HIGHS AND BRING BREEZY CONDITIONS AT TIMES THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT
WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES IN SPOTS TODAY TO END
THE MONTH OF MAY WITH RECORD TO NEAR RECORD HIGHS IN THE FORECAST
TO START OFF JUNE. MOS GUIDANCE STILL UNDER PLAYING THE HIGH
TEMPERATURES AND I FIND IT CURIOUS THAT BOTH 00Z NAM/GFS HAVE
SLIGHTLY LOWER 850/700 MB THICKNESS VALUES FOR SUNDAY. COULD GET
REALLY HOT TUESDAY BASED JUST ON 00Z UKMET 850/700 MB THICKNESS
NUMBERS. WE ARE CLOSE TO HEAT WARNING CRITERIA FOR ELEVATIONS
BETWEEN 2K-3.5K...ESPECIALLY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. WILL LEAVE ANY
CHANGES TO MON/TUE TO THE MID-SHIFT ONCE ALL 00Z MODEL DATA IS IN.

&&

.AVIATION...DRY SWLY FLOW ALOFT THROUGH SUNDAY RESULTING IN CLEAR
SKY...ALTHOUGH YOU CAN'T RULE OUT A FEW CIRRUS CLOUDS FROM TIME TO
TIME. SFC WINDS WILL GENERALLY FOLLOW DIURNAL TRENDS...THOUGH GIVEN
THE DEEP BOUNDARY LAYER THERE WILL BE SOME AFTERNOON GUSTS TO 20-25
KTS ON SUNDAY. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...HIGH PRESSURE WILL RESULT IN HOT TEMPERATURES FOR
MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES APPROACHING RECORD
LEVELS THE NEXT FEW DAYS. WITH A VERY DEEP MIXED LAYER AND HOT
TEMPERATURES...SOME AFTERNOON GUSTS ARE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON
THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEK WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EAST OF TUCSON.
EVEN WITH THE AFTERNOON GUSTS...WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN
BELOW RED FLAG THRESHOLDS. HOWEVER...VERY DRY CONDITIONS WILL
CONTINUE WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY DROPPING INTO THE MID SINGLE DIGITS
EACH AFTERNOON AND MOSTLY POOR NIGHTTIME RECOVERIES.

&&

.CLIMATE...MAY AND SPRING CLIMATE REPORT FOR TUCSON HAS BEEN POSTED
ON OUR WEBSITE...ON FACEBOOK AND ON TWITTER.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...YOUTUBE...AND AT WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys

When
June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 8, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
33.074, -109.563 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos. Rapid fire growth began in mid May, and due to prolonged periods of strong winds and low relative humidity, the total burned area increased to 43,370 acres by June 1, 2014. Most of the burned area occurred on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Graham County, but also spread into extreme southeastern Gila County. The fire perimeter was contained on June 3rd, after a series of back burns and after a total of 73,682 acres were consumed. Interior pockets of the fire continued to smolder for several days. The fire was officially contained on June 8th. No injuries, fatalities, or damage were reported during the duration of this wildfire.

Wildfire, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties

When
June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 8, 10:00 AM MST
Where
White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
33.074, -109.563 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos. Rapid fire growth began in mid May, and due to prolonged periods of strong winds and low relative humidity, the total burned area increased to 43,370 acres by June 1, 2014. Most of the burned area occurred on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Graham County, but also spread into extreme southeastern Gila County. The fire perimeter was contained on June 3rd, after a series of back burns and after a total of 73,682 acres were consumed. Interior pockets of the fire continued to smolder for several days. The fire was officially contained on June 8th. No injuries, fatalities, or damage were reported during the duration of this wildfire.

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

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2014

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: 528867, 528869.