Arizona, 2024

Wildfire in Arizona, July 10 to 17, 2024

July 10 to 17, 2024 · NWS PSR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A human caused fire called the Watch Fire began on July 10th near San Carlos. On the 11th, thunderstorms developed over the White Mountains and along the Mogollon Rim before descending toward the southwest across southern Gila County.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5.0 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 PSR wrote it up.

A human caused fire called the Watch Fire began on July 10th near San Carlos. On the 11th, thunderstorms developed over the White Mountains and along the Mogollon Rim before descending toward the southwest across southern Gila County. MLCAPE upwards of around 1,000 J/kg along with DCAPE values upwards of 1,500-2,000 J/kg promoted an environment conducive to producing strong downdrafts and thus leading to strong outflows. During the afternoon on the 11th, strong thunderstorms moving toward the southwest across southern Gila County produced strong outflow winds in excess of 30-40 mph. The strong winds led to the rapid spread of the Watch Fire into southeast portions of San Carlos, causing multiple structures to be destroyed.

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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 10, 4:55 PM MST, 6 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 10, 4:55 PM MST, 6 hours 7 minutes before
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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, San Carlos

When
July 10, 11:02 PM MST to July 17, 1:24 PM MST
Where
San Carlos forecast zone
Property damage
$5.0 million
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
33.800, -110.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Watch Fire began on the 10th before rapidly spreading during the afternoon of the 11th due to strong thunderstorm outflow winds in excess of 30-40 mph. The strong winds caused the fire to rapidly spread into southeast portions of San Carlos, destroying at least 21 homes and 13 auxiliary structures. The fire became 100 percent contained on the 17th after burning more than 2,000 acres. No injuries were reported.

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 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2024

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1203986.