The Etiwanda fire began on April 30th around 0700 PST in the San Bernardino National Forest near Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County. The fire was due to an escaped illegal campfire a few days prior, when strong winds blew embers that ignited in Day Canyon.
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 Etiwanda fire began on April 30th around 0700 PST in the San Bernardino National Forest near Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County. The fire was due to an escaped illegal campfire a few days prior, when strong winds blew embers that ignited in Day Canyon. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for Rancho Cucamonga residents from Haven Avenue to Carnelian Street, north of Hillside Road, as well as the area West of Etiwanda, North of Wilson and East of Day Creek Wash. Schools evacuated included Day Creek Intermediate School, Los Osos High School, Heritage Intermediate School and Caryn Elementary. The fire burned rapidly south, threatening 600-800 structures. 2143 acres before being fully contained on May 6. Three firefighters sustained unknown minor injuries and one structure was damaged.
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 Apr 30, 2:00 AM PST, 5 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
300 AM PDT WED APR 30 2014
.SYNOPSIS...
HOT AND WINDY WEATHER TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY WITH STRONG SANTA ANA
WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITY. FRIDAY WILL ALSO BE VERY WARM BUT THE
WINDS WILL BE MUCH LIGHTER. COOLER WEATHER WILL ARRIVE THIS WEEKEND
WITH THE RETURN OF ONSHORE FLOW AND THE MARINE LAYER. EVEN COOLER
WEATHER WILL ARRIVE NEXT WEEK WITH LOWER PRESSURE ALOFT AND STRONGER
ONSHORE FLOW.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
CLEAR...BALMY AND BREEZY THIS MORNING...EXCEPT QUITE WINDY IN THE
FOOTHILLS. AT LOWER ELEVATIONS TEMPS WERE IN THE 70S WHERE BREEZES
PERSISTED AND IN THE 60S OTHERWISE. TOP WIND GUSTS IN FOOTHILLS WERE
IN THE 40-60 MPH RANGE...EXCEPT SILL HILL NEAR CUYAMACA PEAK WENT
BALLISTIC AT 130 AM WITH A GUST OF 88 MPH. THEY MIGHT HIT 100 MPH
TODAY. STRONG SANTA ANA OFFSHORE WINDS WILL PEAK TODAY AND WEAKEN
LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. STRONG WINDS WILL BE
WIDESPREAD...INCLUDING MOST LOCATIONS NOT USED TO THE WIND. THE
UPPER SUPPORT CONTINUES INTO THURSDAY...BUT THE PRESSURE GRADIENTS
LOOSEN UP SLIGHTLY SO WINDS WILL NOT BE QUITE AS STRONG. THEN WINDS
WILL DIMINISH QUITE A LOT THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. POCKETS OF
OFFSHORE BREEZES WILL REMAIN EARLY FRIDAY IN THE USUAL FOOTHILL
AREAS OTHERWISE WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND ACTUALLY SWITCH ONSHORE BY
AFTERNOON. MAX TEMPS WILL PEAK TODAY WITH SOME SPOTS HITTING 100
DEGREES. AND THE HOT WEATHER WILL AGAIN MAKE IT TO THE COAST TODAY.
APRIL WILL END WITH SOME OF THE HIGHEST TEMPS NEAR THE COAST SINCE
SEPTEMBER OF 2012 (>2.5 YEARS). WITH THE SANTA ANA IN FULL
SWING...THE AIR GETS MORE COMPRESSED THE LOWER IN ELEVATION IT CAN
GO AND THAT IS WHY IT WILL BE HOTTER NEAR THE COAST THAN IN THE
INLAND VALLEYS TODAY AND THURSDAY. IT WILL BEGIN TO COOL DOWN FRIDAY
NEAR THE COAST WHILE THE INTERIOR ACTUALLY WARMS UP A LITTLE. OVER
THE WEEKEND ALL AREAS WILL COOL DOWN. IT LOOKS LIKE THE MARINE LAYER
WILL REDEVELOP SATURDAY NIGHT AND DEVELOP SOME COASTAL CLOUDS AND
FOG FOR SUNDAY MORNING. NEXT WEEK A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OVER THE
NORTHEAST PACIFIC WILL AMPLIFY AND MOVE INTO THE WEST COAST. THIS
WILL BOOST THE COOLING TREND AND EXTEND THE COASTAL CLOUDS FARTHER
INLAND. SOME MODEL SOLUTIONS EVEN HINT AT SOME RAIN FOR SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. WHILE WE DISMISS THE RAIN
CHANCE FOR NOW...WE WILL MORE CONFIDENTLY FORECAST COOL
WEATHER...EXTENSIVE LOW CLOUDS...AND SOME GUSTY ONSHORE WINDS IN THE
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.
&&
.AVIATION...
300930Z...EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS SUSTAINED AT 20-30 KT WITH GUSTS
IN EXCESS OF 50 KT WILL CONTINUE ALONG COASTAL MTN SLOPES AND
WESTERN INLAND EMPIRE LOCATIONS THROUGH THIS EVENING. LLWS IS
POSSIBLE FOR COASTAL AND VALLEY SITES TONIGHT BEFORE THE NE WINDS
MIX DOWN TO SURFACE. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING
BETWEEN 15-18Z...BUT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. KONT AND
KSNA MAY GUST IN EXCESS OF 30 KT. BLDU MAY REDUCE VIS NEAR KONT AND
IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY THIS MORNING AS WELL. MTN WAVE ACTIVITY WILL
LIKELY CREATE STRONG UDDFS BETWEEN 30/15-23Z...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE
WESTERN FOOTHILLS. KONT AND KSNA MAY EXPERIENCE VERY STRONG NE WINDS
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...GUSTING IN EXCESS OF 30KT.
OTHERWISE...SKC CONDS WITH UNRESTRICTED VIS THROUGH THE FORECAST
PERIOD.
&&
.MARINE...
NORTHEAST WINDS 10-20 KT WITH LOCAL GUSTS AROUND 25 KT WILL PRODUCE
CHOPPY SEAS TODAY AND THURSDAY...MAINLY NEAR LA JOLLA AND NORTH
OF OCEANSIDE IN THE MORNINGS. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED
FOR THE GUSTY WINDS AND CHOPPY SEAS THIS MORNING THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...NO MARINE WEATHER HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED
THROUGH SATURDAY.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
ELEVATED FIRE POTENTIAL EXISTS TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY WITH VERY STRONG
WINDS...LOW HUMIDITIES AND VERY HOT WEATHER. THE PEAK OFFSHORE WINDS
WILL OCCUR LATE NIGHTS THROUGH MORNINGS. EXPECT WIDESPREAD GUSTS OF
40-60 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS...VALLEYS AND COASTAL ZONES...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS IN THE WIND PRONE FOOTHILLS AND INLAND VALLEYS. STILL HOT AND
DRY FRIDAY BUT WITH LIGHTER WINDS. SOME HUMIDITY RECOVERY IN THE
COASTAL AREAS. OVER THE WEEKEND...HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL WEAKEN
AND THE RETURN OF ONSHORE FLOW WILL BRING COOLING...INCREASING
HUMIDITIES...AND THE RETURN OF A MARINE LAYER THAT WILL DEEPEN EARLY
NEXT WEEK.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY
COASTAL AREAS...RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY
VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE...SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS...SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY
COASTAL AREAS...RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING THE
SAN JACINTO RANGER DISTRICT OF THE SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL
FOREST...SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE
INLAND EMPIRE...SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING
THE MOUNTAIN TOP AND FRONT COUNTRY RANGER DISTRICTS OF THE
SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST...SANTA ANA
MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING THE TRABUCO RANGER DISTRICT OF THE
CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER
AND OUT 30 NM.
&&
PUBLIC/FIRE WEATHER...MM
AVIATION/MARINE...TSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
642 AM PDT WED APR 30 2014
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 9 SSW JULIAN 32.95N 116.64W
04/30/2014 M97 MPH SAN DIEGO CA MESONET
MESONET STATION SILL HILL /SILSD/
&&
NWS SAN DIEGO CA
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
648 AM PDT WED APR 30 2014
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0350 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 S PINE VALLEY 32.76N 116.49W
04/30/2014 M74 MPH SAN DIEGO CA MESONET
MESONET STATION BUCKMAN SPRINGS /BMSSD/
&&
NWS SAN DIEGO CA
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
743 AM PDT WED APR 30 2014
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0733 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG 4 ESE PINE VALLEY 32.84N 116.43W
04/30/2014 SAN DIEGO CA TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED MULTIPLE WIND GUSTS
ESTIMATED NEAR 70 MPH. WIND GUSTS BLEW DOWN
A FEW TREES NEAR THE TOP OF MT. LAGUNA THAT
WERE 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
&&
JJT
NWS SAN DIEGO CA
IRIS SYSTEMThe 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 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2014
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: 511806.