2023 Arizona wildfires

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2023 Arizona wildfires
Spoon Fire July 28.jpg
Aerial view of the Spoon Fire on July 28
Statistics [1]
Total fires1,837
Total area188,483 acres (76,276 ha)
Impacts
Damage$9,597,838 (2023 USD) (suppression efforts) [1]
Season
←  2022
2024  →

A series of wildfires burned throughout the U.S. state of Arizona in 2023.

Contents

Background

Historically, while peak fire times were from June to July before monsoon season, wildfires now occur at any time of year. Wildfire conditions are influenced by heavy drought and dryness in the state, but snowmelt in the mountains leads to vegetation growth. With decreasing precipitation in spring, fires tend to start earlier. Monsoons affect fire conditions, with above-average monsoons hindering fires and below-average allowing them to spread. Dryness common in Arizona quickly dries out vegetation, allowing dangerous fire conditions. [2]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment date [a] NotesRef
Volunteer Coconino 2,675May 232023 [4]
Bullet Maricopa 3,240June 4June 2023 [5]
Ridge Coconino 10,210June 4August 22 [6]
Diamond Maricopa 1,960June 272023 [7]
Beehive Santa Cruz 10,745June 302023 [8]
Pilot Yavapai and Mohave 34,810July 1August 3Human caused. [9]
Campbell Greenlee 1,416July 102023 [10]
Adams Robles Complex Fire Cochise 5,232July 19July 2023 [11]
Guzzler Coconino 1,542July 192023Lightning-caused. Burned about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Heber-Overgaard in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. [12] [13]
Grapevine Yavapai 1,049July 21August 9 [14]
Diamond Maricopa 1,960July 22July 2023 [15]
Round Hill Pima 3,000July 222023
Eskiminzin Pinal 1,113July 232023
Gallineta Pima 1,601July 232023
Spoon Gila 4,560July 242023Lightning-caused. Burned 26 miles (42 km) west of Whiteriver. [16]
Gold Hill Coconino 6,239July 272023Naturally-caused. Burned 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Cameron. [17] [18]
Valentine Gila 7,724August 16December 1Lightning-caused. Burned 11 miles (18 km) of Young. Suppression efforts cost $10 million. [19] [20] [21]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 "2023 Annual Wildland Fire Report" (PDF). dffm.az.gov. Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Arizona Fire Season: In-Depth Guide". wfca.com. Western Fire Chiefs Association. June 13, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  3. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Volunteer Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 31, 2023.[ dead link ]
  5. ↑ "Bullet Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 30, 2023.[ dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Ridge Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Diamond Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Beehive Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 31, 2023.[ dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Pilot Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 30, 2023.[ dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Campbell Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Adams Robles Complex Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Guzzler Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 30, 2023.[ dead link ]
  13. ↑ "Guzzler Fire continues to burn in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest". Navajo-Hopi Observer . July 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  14. ↑ "2023 Grapevine Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Diamond Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Spoon Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Gold Hill". USA Today. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Gold Hill - Wildfire and Smoke Map". datacentral.desmoinesregister.com. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Valentine Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved September 26, 2023.[ dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Monday, September 18, 2023 Valentine Fire Update and Map". InciWeb. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  21. ↑ Scaggs, John (May 20, 2024). "Valentine Fire restores forest and community". fs.usda.gov. United States Forest Service . Retrieved May 25, 2025.
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