Wildfire — Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys, Arizona

2023-08-01 to 2023-08-03 · Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys, Arizona

Event narrative

Two lightning-caused fires began on Black Mountain, 18 miles north of Safford, on July 29. Winds and complex terrain caused the fires to merge on July 30 to form the Treadway Fire. A total of 8400 acres were consumed before extreme fire behavior was tempered by firefighting efforts and rainfall on August 3. Fire suppression costs tallied nearly $1.4 million.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1123397. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.