Wildfire — San Carlos, Arizona

2024-07-10 to 2024-07-17 · San Carlos, Arizona

Event narrative

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.

Wider weather episode

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.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1203986. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.