Wildfire in Texas, March 25 to 31, 2022

Name: Wildfire in Texas, March 25 to 31, 2022
Start: 2022-03-25T18:52
End: 2022-03-31T23:59
Location: Texas

March 25 to 31, 2022 · NWS EWX · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

Dry air and unusually warm temperatures produced extremely low relative humidity for several days. These dry conditions combined with breezy winds to produce critical fire weather conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $800,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 EWX wrote it up.

Dry air and unusually warm temperatures produced extremely low relative humidity for several days. These dry conditions combined with breezy winds to produce critical fire weather conditions.

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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 25, 5:49 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 25, 5:49 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX
649 PM CDT Fri Mar 25 2022

.AVIATION (00Z TAFs)...
VFR conditions under clear skies through the TAF period. The only
exception may be restrictions in smoke in and near and ongoing or
future wildfires across South Central Texas. Currently a large
wildfire is ongoing to the northeast of HDO and north of CVB...
and some smoke has spilled into western areas of the San Antonio
metro area. Will monitor closely for possible inclusion into SAT or
SSF TAFs.

Winds tonight generally light around or less than 5KT. A SW to SE
wind will develop after 16Z Saturday, sustained around 10-20KT by
afternoon with some gusts around 25KT.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 243 PM CDT Fri Mar 25 2022/

SHORT TERM (Tonight through Saturday Night)...
Mostly clear skies are prevailing across South-Central Texas this
afternoon with light and variable winds for the most part. The light
flow is creating some stagnant air that is leading to some smokey
horizons across portions of the area. Temperatures are warm, in the
lower 80s to near 90 across the area. Dewpoints range from the near
10 in the west to near 30 in the east. This is leading to afternoon
humidity values in the single digits to near 20 percent. With weak
winds fire growth potential will be diminished, but with that dry of
an airmass fires will be able to sustain themselves and outdoor
burning is not recommended.

For tonight, southerly winds will begin to increase by morning as
surface pressure begins to fall near the Panhandle. Lows will be in
the upper 40s to lower 50s. For tomorrow, southerly winds should be
around 12-18 mph in the afternoon hours. Despite southerly flow,
moisture return will be minimal to non-existent. Highs will top out
in the middle 80s to lower 90s once again and afternoon humidity
values will bottom in the 7-30 percent range once again. Values less
than 20 percent will be along and west of a Georgetown to Seguin to
Cuero line. Given the very dry humidity values expected, elevated
winds, and several fires ongoing today with little wind, have opted
to issue a Fire Weather Watch for tomorrow for all but our eastern
three counties. Residents are urged once again to not do any outdoor
burning. Low temperatures tomorrow night will be in the 50s for most
locations.

LONG TERM (Sunday through Friday)...
An upper ridge will move across the middle of the country keeping the
weather dry over South Central Texas for the weekend and first part
of next week. The low level flow will be from the southeast,
gradually increasing moisture over the region especially over the
eastern half of the CWA. High temperatures will be well above normal
Saturday through Tuesday. Tuesday an upper level trough will move
across the southwestern US pushing a dryline and Pacific cold front.
These features will move across our CWA Tuesday night/Wednesday
bringing a chance for showers and thunderstorms. Rain chances should
move away from our area Wednesday afternoon leaving dry weather for
the rest of the period. Temperatures will be cooler across the north
and east behind the front Wednesday through Friday.

FIRE WEATHER...
Afternoon minimum relative humidity will fall to near 6-18 percent
Saturday. Coupled with southerly winds of 10-18 mph and gusts to
25 mph, rapid fire growth is possible. Minimum humidity will tick
upwards each day through Tuesday, probably remaining above 20
percent area-wide Monday and Tuesday, but with increasingly strong
southerly winds each day we anticipate the continuation of
elevated to near critical conditions.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Austin Camp Mabry              52  88  54  86  57 /   0   0   0   0   0
Austin Bergstrom Intl Airport  48  86  51  86  55 /   0   0   0   0   0
New Braunfels Muni Airport     48  89  50  87  55 /   0   0   0   0   0
Burnet Muni Airport            51  88  53  86  55 /   0   0   0   0   0
Del Rio Intl Airport           52  93  54  92  57 /   0   0   0   0   0
Georgetown Muni Airport        51  87  54  86  56 /   0   0   0   0   0
Hondo Muni Airport             47  92  49  89  52 /   0   0   0   0   0
San Marcos Muni Airport        48  88  50  86  54 /   0   0   0   0   0
La Grange - Fayette Regional   49  85  55  84  58 /   0   0   0   0   0
San Antonio Intl Airport       52  88  52  86  56 /   0   0   0   0   0
Stinson Muni Airport           52  92  53  90  58 /   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Fire Weather Watch from Saturday morning through Saturday evening
for Atascosa-Bandera-Bastrop-Bexar-Blanco-Burnet-Caldwell-Comal-De
Witt-Dimmit-Edwards-Frio-Gillespie-Gonzales-Guadalupe-Hays-Karnes-
Kendall-Kerr-Kinney-Llano-Maverick-Medina-Real-Travis-Uvalde-Val
Verde-Williamson-Wilson-Zavala.

&&

Short-Term/Aviation...76
Long-Term...Morris

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 25, 1:12 PM CST, 5 hours 40 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX
212 PM CDT Fri Mar 25 2022

TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-261915-
Llano-Burnet-Williamson-Val Verde-Edwards-Real-Kerr-Bandera-
Gillespie-Kendall-Blanco-Hays-Travis-Bastrop-Lee-Kinney-Uvalde-
Medina-Bexar-Comal-Guadalupe-Caldwell-Fayette-Maverick-Zavala-
Frio-Atascosa-Wilson-Karnes-Gonzales-De Witt-Lavaca-Dimmit-
212 PM CDT Fri Mar 25 2022

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for South-Central Texas..

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon And Tonight.

Low humidity levels will lead to some elevated fire weather
conditions across most of south central Texas this afternoon.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

A Fire Weather Watch is in effect for Saturday for most of South-
Central Texas.

Elevated to near critical, possibly critical fire weather
conditions are expected to then continue through early next week.
The most favored areas for critical fire weather conditions are
along and west of U.S. 281. The most favored times are from midday
through early evening. Additional Fire Weather Watches and Red
Flag Warnings may be needed through the weekend. Take care to
prevent the start of wildfires.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Medina

When: March 25, 6:52 PM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Medina forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 29.356, -99.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Das Goat Wildfire started approximately four miles SSE of Mico in the 4500 block of CR 271 during the evening of the 25th. The fire burned until April 5, and there were Red Flag Warnings each day from March 26 until April 1. The fire eventually burned 1,092 acres and three houses were destroyed.

Wildfire, Kerr

When: March 26, 12:56 PM CST to March 28, 8:17 PM CST
Where: Kerr forecast zone
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 30.062, -99.350 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Sakewitz Wildfire started during the afternoon of the 26th near the Kerr Kendall county line west of Comfort. There were Red Flag Warnings in effect each day from the 26th through the 28th when the fire was contained. It burned 238 acres and destroyed a barn, a well pump house, and two stock trailers.

Wildfire, Kinney

When: March 27, 6:00 PM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kinney forecast zone
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 29.350, -100.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The West Nueces Wildfire started during the evening of the 27th along Tularosa Rd. in rural northeastern Kinney County. There were Red Flag Warnings in effect each day March 27 through April 1 when the fire was contained. The fire burned 1,750 acres.

Wildfire, Real

When: March 27, 6:23 PM CST to March 31, 2:17 PM CST
Where: Real forecast zone
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 29.832, -99.822 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Rim Rock Wildfire started during the evening of the 27th west of Leakey along RR 337. Red Flag warnings were in effect each day from the 27th through the 31st when the fire was contained. The fire burned 310 acres.

Wildfire, Kinney

When: March 29, 5:29 PM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kinney forecast zone
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 29.350, -100.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The second Burr Ranch Wildfire started on the evening of the 29th along the Maverick Kinney county line north of the area that burned earlier in the month. The fire burned until April 2, and there were Red Flag Warnings in effect each day from March 29 through April 1. It burned 1,600 acres most of which was in Maverick County.

Wildfire, Maverick

When: March 29, 5:29 PM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Maverick forecast zone
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 28.743, -100.314 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 Texas in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, March 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: 1014477, 1014482, 1014478, 1014479, 1014480, 1014481.