The McDonald Take Fire started on May 23 and burned through 3,500 acres by the end of May 25 miles southeast of Whiteriver, Arizona. The fire was south of Tonto Lake near the Black River on the Fort Apache Indian Nation.
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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 FGZ wrote it up.
The McDonald Take Fire started on May 23 and burned through 3,500 acres by the end of May 25 miles southeast of Whiteriver, Arizona. The fire was south of Tonto Lake near the Black River on the Fort Apache Indian Nation. The fuel types involved include: timber (litter and understory), brush (2 feet), tall grass (2.5 feet). The fuels were dry across all types and classes. Live fuel moistures are at critical levels and provided no suppressing effect on fire behavior.
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 May 23, 8:59 AM MST, 5 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ 859 AM MST Sun May 23 2021 .SYNOPSIS...Cold morning low temperatures will quickly warm for a very nice Sunday across the area. Expect much lighter winds for Sunday. Warming temperatures are in store for the week with continued chilly mornings and breezy afternoon winds. && .UPDATE...Calm winds overnight and clear skies gave us a cold start to the day this morning with temperatures about 10-15 degrees below the seasonal averages. Temperatures are warming rapidly with the sunny skies. Look for low 60's to low 70's in the high country today with low 70's to low 80's in the valleys and lower elevations. Winds will be light at around 10 mph with a few gusts to 20 mph possible. The current forecast is on track with no updates needed. && .PREV DISCUSSION /252 AM MST/...Light winds, clear skies, and a very dry airmass in place over Northern Arizona have allowed temperatures to cool rapidly as expected this morning. Some of our traditional cold spots like Bellemont and Tusayan have cooled to around 19F as of 2 AM. Expect to see temperatures drop a few more degrees over the next couple of hours with many other locations dropping into the low to mid 20s along the high terrain. Temperatures will warm back up into the mid 60s across the high terrain and to mid to upper 70s across the valleys for Sunday. The low that brought us the extreme winds will begin to lift northward through the day Sunday. With the low still to our north, afternoon west to southwest breezes will still occur.These will be much lighter than we have seen the past two days. With temperature around 10 degrees warmer than yesterday and much lighter breezes, it should be a great Sunday to get outdoors. A ridge will build in across the area through the midweek with quiet weather and warming temperatures expected. As a very dry airmass looks to stay in place for the next few days with clear nights forecast, expect continued. Be sure to cover sensitive vegetation and be sure to shelter animals inside. && .AVIATION...For the 18Z package...VFR conditions prevail under mostly clear skies. Southwest winds around 10 kts gusting 20 kts through 02Z Monday will become light to calm overnight. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Expect much lighter southwest winds, dry conditions, and warming temperatures. Tuesday through Thursday...Dry and warm weather continues. Light afternoon southwest breezes each day. Expect Haines Index values of 5 or 6 along and north of the Rim. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && PUBLIC...DB/ET AVIATION...DB FIRE WEATHER...MCT For Northern Arizona weather information visit weather.gov/flagstaff
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The McDonald Fire burned through 3,500 acres in southern Apache County by the end of May.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, May 2021
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: 952196.