Arizona, 2025

Wildfire in Arizona, June 4 to 26, 2025

June 4 to 26, 2025 · NWS TWC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The Ranch Wildfire began on June 4th, near Lochiel, AZ, and was active until June 26th. The Ranch Wildfire was determined to be human caused, reached a total of 2751 acres, and no structures were damaged.

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.

  • 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
None recorded
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 TWC wrote it up.

The Ranch Wildfire began on June 4th, near Lochiel, AZ, and was active until June 26th. The Ranch Wildfire was determined to be human caused, reached a total of 2751 acres, and no structures were damaged.

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 4, 1:50 PM MST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 4, 1:50 PM MST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
150 PM MST Wed Jun 4 2025

.SYNOPSIS...A weather system moving through this afternoon will keep
temperatures below normal with slight chances for showers and
thunderstorms in the White Mountains ending this evening.
Thereafter, expect dry and warming conditions into early next week
with triple digit temperatures for Tucson westward by the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Skies this afternoon are generally mostly sunny south
and west of Tucson with partly cloudy skies mainly from Tucson north
to northeastward. There is an upper low that is weakening/shearing
out this afternoon as it pushes across the state. This is resulting
in numerous showers and thunderstorms across the northern half of
the state but for our forecast area, a mid level inversion is
keeping cloud development limited. Still a slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms this afternoon mainly across northern Graham and
Greenlee counties but dry elsewhere. A bit on the breezy side this
afternoon with gusts around 20 mph.

Starting Thursday and continuing into next week, our attention will
turn to more typical June weather which is heat. While temperatures
will be on an upward swing as heights/thicknesses increase across
the area over the next few days, it won't get too out of hand for
this time of year peaking at around 3 to 5 degrees above normal on
Sunday. The current forecast high in Tucson on Sunday is 104 degrees
with the NBM showing a probability of 105 or greater at 20 percent.
These temperatures at 3 to 5 degrees above normal put our area in
minor to moderate HeatRisk, with the greatest coverage of moderate
HeatRisk from Tucson eastward. Otherwise, expect continued dry
conditions with some afternoon breezes and gusts each day.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 06/00Z.
FEW-SCT clouds 8k-12k ft AGL mainly from KTUS north and eastward
thru 05/03Z then becoming SKC thru the rest of the valid period.
ISOLD -SHRA/-TSRA will be possible over the White Mountains
northeast of KSAD thru 05/02Z. Sfc winds westerly-southwesterly 8-14
kts with gusts to around 20 kts thru 05/03Z, becoming variable at 10
kts or less thereafter. Sfc winds become westerly-southwesterly
again aft 05/18Z at 8-14 kts with gusts around 20 kts. Aviation
discussion not updated for TAF amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...A weather system will be passing through this
afternoon leading to 15%-30% chance for showers and thunderstorms in
northern Graham and Greenlee Counties into early this evening.
Expect continued breezy winds especially east of Tucson this
afternoon. Otherwise, winds will be 15 mph or less through the
weekend with occasional afternoon gusts around 20 mph. A drying and
warming trend starts Thursday and continues into the weekend. Min RH
values will be back in the single digits for valley locations
Thursday onward.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson

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, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys

When
June 4, 5:00 PM MST to June 26, 3:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
31.812, -111.318 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Ranch Wildfire began on June 4th, near Lochiel, AZ, and was active until June 26th. The Ranch Wildfire was determined to be human caused, reached a total of 2751 acres, and no structures were damaged.

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 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2025

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: 1266987.