Wildfire in Arizona, March 6, 2018

Name: Wildfire in Arizona, March 6, 2018
Start: 2018-03-06T12:35
End: 2018-03-06T18:00
Location: Arizona

March 6, 2018 · NWS FGZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A human caused grass and brush fire burned 320 acres about 20 miles north of Flagstaff near Kendrick Park. About 30 fire fighting personnel contained the fire in about 4 hours.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 FGZ wrote it up.

A human caused grass and brush fire burned 320 acres about 20 miles north of Flagstaff near Kendrick Park. About 30 fire fighting personnel contained the fire in about 4 hours.

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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 6, 9:33 AM MST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 6, 9:33 AM MST, 3 hours 2 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
Issued by National Weather Service LAS VEGAS NV
933 AM MST Tue Mar 6 2018

.SYNOPSIS...Expect dry weather with a warming trend through
Friday. High temperatures will be around 10 degrees above normal
Wednesday through Friday. There will be periodic mid and high
level cloud cover. Deeper moisture moving into the region could
bring a round of precipitation late Saturday into Sunday.
&&

.UPDATE...Quiet morning with northeast breezes persisting across
most of the region. The current forecast is in good shape an no
changes are needed at this time.
&&

.PREV DISCUSSION /354 AM MST/...A weak ridge of high pressure over
the region will lead to above normal temperatures and dry
conditions through Friday. High temperatures Wednesday through
Friday will range from 10 to 15 degrees above normal for early
March. There will be periods of high clouds throughout the week as
westerly flow aloft advects some upper level moisture into the
area. Aside from some locally breezy northeast surface winds this
morning, expect generally light wind speeds for the next few
days. An increase in southwesterly winds is anticipated Friday
and into the weekend as the pressure gradient tightens a bit over
northern Arizona.

Models continue to indicate, to a varying degree, an influx of
deeper moisture late Saturday into Sunday off the Pacific. As is
usually the case 5-6 days out, there continues to be model
disagreement on how this will evolve but saw enough trends to
warrant bumping up POPs during this time frame. One thing to note
with this system is the expected high snow levels (>7500 ft) as
the trough tracks to our north and heights remain high over the
area. Stay tuned through the week as we get a better handle on how
this system will play out.
&&

.AVIATION...For the 18z package...VFR conditions will persist
through 18Z Wednesday. A few northeast wind gusts are expected
during the day Tuesday at high terrain locations. Aviation
discussion not updated for TAF amendments.
&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Warming temperatures and very dry conditions are
forecast for the next couple of days. Afternoon minimum RH values
will be in the single digits and teens, with northeast breezes
over the high terrain especially on Tuesday.

Thursday through Saturday...Above average high temperatures
continue, most notably Thursday and Friday. Afternoon wind speeds
are forecast to be strongest on Friday. Some slight cooling is
forecast Saturday as moisture begins to increase ahead of a
disturbance approaching from the Pacific.
&&

.FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

UPDATE...WOLCOTT
PUBLIC...TPS
AVIATION...AT
FIRE WEATHER...AT

For Northern Arizona weather information visit
weather.gov/flagstaff

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Western Mogollon Rim

When: March 6, 12:35 PM MST to 6:00 PM MST
Where: Western Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A human caused fire started just after 1230 PM about 20 miles north of Flagstaff in grassland. A drone caught fire when it landed in grass. The fire quickly spread to around 50 acres by the time firefighters arrived on scene. Firefighters were able to burn out around the Chapel of the Holy Dove to prevent any damage to the historic landmark. Coconino National Forest firefighters and Summit Fire Department contained the Kendrick Fire at 335 acres by late afternoon. ADOT used a pilot car to usher traffic on Highway 180 through the thick smoke impacting visibility.

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

Every storm in Arizona in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, March 2018

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: 734145.