Name: Wildfire in Arizona, April 17 to 30, 2022
Start: 2022-04-17T16:22
End: 2022-04-30T18:00
Location: Arizona

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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Wind
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $20 million
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.

The Tunnel Fire started Sunday on April 17 around 4:22 PM about 14 miles northeast of Flagstaff within the Schultz Fire scar (2010). The fire burned through 19,088 acres of timber with understory (abundant brush or small trees) and cured grass.

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 Apr 17, 2:09 PM MST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 17, 2:09 PM MST, 2 hours 13 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
209 PM MST Sun Apr 17 2022

.SYNOPSIS...Warm, dry, and breezy conditions persist through
Monday while under high pressure. Stronger southwest winds are
expected across the region on Tuesday, remaining gusty through
mid-week. Chances of light precipitation return for Friday with
cooler temperatures and continued gusty winds.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Weakly amplified, nearly zonal flow will continue
across the southwest through much of the weak, bringing breezy
conditions, above normal temperatures and dry conditions through
Thursday. There is some model agreement that a stronger, deeper
trough will impact Arizona on Friday with stronger winds, a
chance of precipitation and colder temperatures Friday and
Saturday.

Over the next 24 hours increasing mid to high-level clouds are
expected as a weak trough begins to impact West Coast. As this
trough passes through the Great Basin on Tuesday, winds will
increase across N. Arizona, bringing gusty winds and near-
critical fire weather conditions to the area. Very dry (single
digit) relative humidities are in place - we'll be watching this
situation closely, but no highlights have been issued at this
time.

Ensembles are in agreement that the more significant trough which
is due on Friday will rapidly move through the area, with only
light precipitation expected during its passage. Winds could be
quite strong on Friday, but higher RH should limit fire weather
concerns.

&&

.AVIATION...For the 00Z TAF package...VFR will prevail with cirrus
invading from the west during the pre-dawn hours on Monday.
Occasional VFR cigs are forecast, especially for terminals
near/north of I-40. Winds will become terrain driven a few hours
after sunset tonight before increasing around midday Monday.
SW'ly breezes will peak closer to 15 knots with gusts between 20 and
25 knots, especially for terminals not sheltered by terrain.
Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...An elevated fire weather threat will exist on Monday
as minimum afternoon humidity values fall down below 15% area wide.
Southwesterly breezes will increase with wind gusts as great as 25
mph, especially along the Mogollon Rim. A near critical fire
weather threat may exist on Tuesday when above normal warmth
combines with sustained southwest winds near 25 mph, with gusts
approaching 40 mph. Low afternoon RH is forecast again with values
dipping down into the single digits.

Wednesday through Friday...Afternoon humidity values should trend
upward through the end of the work week though elevated winds
between 15 and 25 mph may still support some fire weather
concerns. There will be a 20 to 30 percent chance for measurable
precipitation, mainly along the higher terrain late Friday into
Saturday.

&&

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

&&

PUBLIC...BAK
AVIATION...Bain
FIRE WEATHER...Bain

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: April 17, 4:22 PM MST to April 30, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Western Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Property damage: $20 million
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Tunnel Fire started on April 17 about 14 miles northeast of Flagstaff within the 2010 Schultz Fire scar. The fire eventually jumped Highway 89 and through Sunset Crater National Monument. The fire also burned at least 30 homes. In all, the Tunnel Fire burned through 19,088 acres. The Tunnel Fire was marked fully contained Wednesday, June 1.

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 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, April 2022

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: 1018318.