Arizona, 2018

Wildfire in Arizona, November 14 to 16, 2018

November 14 to 16, 2018 · NWS TWC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The human caused Babo Fire ignited southeast of Elgin during the morning of November 14th and was spread through grass by gusty east winds. The fire was contained on November 16th after consuming 2473 acres.

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 TWC wrote it up.

The human caused Babo Fire ignited southeast of Elgin during the morning of November 14th and was spread through grass by gusty east winds. The fire was contained on November 16th after consuming 2473 acres. Around 30 people were evacuated from the area.

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 Nov 14, 9:33 AM MST, 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 14, 9:33 AM MST, 57 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
933 AM MST Wed Nov 14 2018

.SYNOPSIS...Periodically gusty winds will continue through
Wednesday coincident with unseasonably cool daytime temperatures.
Warming high pressure will gradually spread into the region during
the latter half of the week resulting in daytime temperatures
returning to near normal.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Gusty east winds this morning will be gradually
diminishing this afternoon into early this evening. High clouds,
associated with a weak upper level trof passing through the area
today, will bring partly cloudy to partly sunny conditions. Highs
today will remain cool, running 5-7 degrees cooler than normal.

The above mentioned high clouds will move out of the area tonight
with a clear sky area wide after midnight.

Seasonal temperatures Thursday into early next week under weak
high pressure aloft. Models suggesting the area may see a chance
of precipitation next Tuesday into early Wednesday associated
with a weak southern stream system pushing through the area. At
this time nothing to write home about.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 15/12Z.
SCT-BKN clouds AOA 20k ft AGL into this evening then becoming
CLR. Gusty easterly winds diminishing at all sites except KTUS
today. Enhanced downsloping effects will allow for gusts up to 25
knots to persist into the early afternoon. Winds will finally
weaken below 12 knots at KTUS late this afternoon and continue at
12 kts or less tonight. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF
amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Periodically gusty east winds will persist today with speeds
slightly lower than Tuesday, but still some areas in excess of 25
mph, particularly over ridge tops, foothills and in portions of
the Tucson Metro. While the overall fire danger will remain low
and temperatures will stay much cooler than normal, the wind and
very low RH conditions could result in challenges with any
grass/brush fires during the afternoon hours. Temperatures will
moderate into the weekend with humidity levels increasing
somewhat, yet remaining quite low. The next chance of wetting
rains is not expected until at least Tuesday.

&&

.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

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Upper San Pedro River Valley

When
November 14, 10:30 AM MST to November 16, 2:30 PM MST
Where
Upper San Pedro River Valley forecast zone
Reported by
State Official
Coordinates
32.109, -110.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The human caused Babo Fire ignited southeast of Elgin during the morning of November 14th and quickly spread through grass by east wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph. The fire was contained on November 16th after it consumed 2473 acres. Around 30 people were evacuated from the area at the fire's onset.

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 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, November 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: 789088.