Wildfire in California, June 23 to 26, 2018

Name: Wildfire in California, June 23 to 26, 2018
Start: 2018-06-23T14:00
End: 2018-06-26T15:00
Location: California

June 23 to 26, 2018 · NWS SGX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A fire broke out at the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Reservation in the Coachella Valley on June 23rd. Seven homes were destroyed and the fire affected 30 tribal members in total.

Where it happened

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.

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Heat and drought
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Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 3
Property damage: $100,000
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 SGX wrote it up.

A fire broke out at the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Reservation in the Coachella Valley on June 23rd. Seven homes were destroyed and the fire affected 30 tribal members in total. Members were displaced from their homes and lost all of their possessions.

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 San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 23, 12:38 PM PST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 23, 12:38 PM PST, 1 hour 22 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
138 PM PDT Sat Jun 23 2018

.SYNOPSIS...
Weak low pressure will alternate with weak high pressure this
coming week. Cooler with more coastal clouds this weekend, warmer
with less coastal cloudiness Monday through Wednesday, then
cooler with more coastal clouds later next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...

The coastal eddy we've got spinning out there is a textbook
specimen of what a coastal eddy should be. It has produced brisk
southerly winds along the coast, prevented clouds from clearing
in coastal areas (not just beaches), and even produced spotty
drizzle this morning. It is poised to push the clouds inland
early this evening to fill nearly all of the valleys overnight.
Temperatures at 1 pm are 3 to 15 degrees lower in all areas from
yesterday's temps at this time. The eddy and cooling trend come
courtesy of a low pressure trough moving through the interior
West. In addition, a tepid gulf surge brought dew points up and
temps down in the lower desert, insomuch that Daggett in the high
desert is our unusual hot spot today at 105 so far. The coastal
eddy will continue into Sunday for a very similar day. The marine
inversion weakens a bit Sunday, so there should be just a little
more sunshine at the coast. High pressure aloft rebuilds Sunday
into Tuesday across the Southwest, which will bring warmer weather
to all areas and a diminished marine layer. Coastal clouds will
probably not make it into inland valleys Tuesday through Thursday
mornings. Temperatures will head back above average inland on
those days. A low pressure trough will deepen in timid June
fashion across the West Thursday into next weekend. That will
reverse the trends, bringing down daytime temperatures and
extending the coastal clouds into the valleys each night and
morning. A weak trough and a weak ridge continue to jockey for
position over Southern California next weekend, but the result
will be little variation around seasonal weather.

&&

.AVIATION...
232030Z...Coast/Valleys...Stratus continues mainly along the coast
and 5-10 SM inland this afternoon with BKN-OVC bases ranging from
1500-2200 ft MSL and tops 2500-3000 ft MSL. Stratus will once again
move back inland this evening after 01Z and spread into the valleys
with bases lowering to 700-1500 ft MSL with tops to 2000 ft MSL. All
coast and valley airports will likely be affected by the stratus.
Areas of vis 1-3 SM in BR/HZ in the valleys between 10-17Z Sunday.
Clearing to the coast may be a little quicker Sunday morning...
approximately 17-19Z.

Mountains/Deserts...Mostly clear with unrestricted VIS through
Sunday evening.

&&

.MARINE...
No hazardous marine weather is expected through Thursday.

&&

.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.

&&

.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...NONE.
PZ...NONE.

&&

PUBLIC...MM
AVIATION/MARINE...Brotherton

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, Coachella Valley

When: June 23, 2:00 PM PST to June 26, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Coachella Valley forecast zone
Injuries: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: Tribal Official
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Martinez Fire broke out around 1400 PST on June 23rd. Dry conditions and temperatures in the 120s helped exasperate the fire. Seven homes were destroyed. Approximately 30 tribal members were displaced from their homes and lost nearly all of their possessions. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries in the blaze.

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 California in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in California, June 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: 767707.