Alert archive / Oregon / Red Flag Warnings in 2026

Red Flag Warning 21, NWS Medford, OR

August 26, 2026Modoc County, California; Harney County, Klamath County, Lake County, Oregon

NWS Medford, OR issued this red flag warning at Aug 26, 2026, 10:12 AM PDT for Modoc County, California; Harney County, Klamath County, Lake County, Oregon. It took effect at Aug 27, 2026, 2:00 PM PDT. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 26, 2026, 10:12 AM PDT (17:12 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 27, 2026, 2:00 PM PDT
Expired
Aug 27, 2026, 8:00 PM PDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Medford, OR

Counties Modoc County, CA, Harney County, OR, Klamath County, OR, Lake County, OR

The radar

The Medford radar (KMAX), 194 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:16 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Salem/Mcnary, OR (KSLE), launched 12:00Z, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 336 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Salem/Mcnary, OR at 12:00Z on 2026-08-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Salem/Mcnary, OR at 12:00Z on 2026-08-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
660 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

911 
WWUS86 KMFR 261712
RFWMFR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Medford OR
1012 AM PDT Wed Aug 26 2026


CAZ285-ORZ624-625-270515-
/O.UPG.KMFR.FW.A.0010.260827T1800Z-260828T0300Z/
/O.NEW.KMFR.FW.W.0021.260827T2100Z-260828T0300Z/
/O.CON.KMFR.FW.W.0020.260826T1800Z-260827T0300Z/
Modoc County Except for the Surprise Valley-
Klamath Basin and the Fremont-Winema National Forest-
South Central Oregon Desert including the BLM Land in Eastern
Lake and Western Harney Counties-
1012 AM PDT Wed Aug 26 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG GUSTY WIND AND LOW RH FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 285, 624,
AND 625...
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM TO 8 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR
STRONG GUSTY WIND AND LOW RH FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 285, 624, AND
625...

The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a Red Flag
Warning, which is in effect from 2 PM to 8 PM PDT Thursday. The
Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. 


* IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.

* AFFECTED AREA...In California...Fire weather zone 285. In
  Oregon...the southern portions of Fire weather zones 624 and
  625. This includes the Wrights Spring Fire in Klamath County.

* WIND...South to southwest at 15 to 25 mph with gusts of 30 to 
  40 mph both days. Winds trend higher Thursday.

* HUMIDITY...Daytime humidities down around 8 to 15 percent 
  both days.

* DETAILED URL...View the hazard area in detail at 
  https://weather.gov/wrh/hazards?wfo=mfr

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If you have not packed your go kit yet, now is the time to do so.
This includes items like important documents and essentials you
cannot live without. Fill your vehicle's fuel tank. Visit
ready.gov/kit for more information.

&&

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Be sure you're signed up for your county's emergency alert
system. Familiarize yourself with your emergency plan and make
sure you listen to emergency services. Visit ready.gov/plan for
more information.

A Red Flag Warning is issued when we identify weather conditions
that promote rapid spread of fire which may become life-
threatening. This does not mean there is a fire. These conditions
are either occurring now or will begin soon. It is important to
have multiple ways to receive information from authorities. 

&&

$$


Visit us at www.weather.gov/Medford
1 follow-up statement
774 
WWUS86 KMFR 270746
RFWMFR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Medford OR
1246 AM PDT Thu Aug 27 2026

CAZ285-ORZ624-625-280300-
/O.CON.KMFR.FW.W.0021.260827T2100Z-260828T0300Z/
Modoc County Except for the Surprise Valley-
Klamath Basin and the Fremont-Winema National Forest-
South Central Oregon Desert including the BLM Land in Eastern
Lake and Western Harney Counties-
1246 AM PDT Thu Aug 27 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG GUSTY WIND AND LOW RH FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 285, 624, AND 625...

* IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.

* AFFECTED AREA...In California...Fire weather zone 285. In
  Oregon...the southern portion of Fire weather zones 624 and 625,
  including the Wrights Spring Fire.

* WIND...Southwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts 30 to 40 mph.

* HUMIDITY...Minimum humidity 8 to 12 percent.

* DETAILED URL...View the hazard area in detail at 
  https://weather.gov/wrh/hazards?wfo=mfr

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If you have not packed your go kit yet, now is the time to do so.
This includes items like important documents and essentials you
cannot live without. Fill your vehicle's fuel tank. Visit
ready.gov/kit for more information.

Be sure you're signed up for your county's emergency alert
system. Familiarize yourself with your emergency plan and make
sure you listen to emergency services. Visit ready.gov/plan for
more information.

A Red Flag Warning is issued when we identify weather conditions
that promote rapid spread of fire which may become life-
threatening. This does not mean there is a fire. These conditions
are either occurring now or will begin soon. It is important to
have multiple ways to receive information from authorities.

&&

$$


Visit us at www.weather.gov/Medford

The office that day

Everything else NWS Medford, OR issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 26, 2:16 PM PDTSmall Craft AdvisoryMFR5 days

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Oregon, 2026Red Flag Warnings in California, 2026Every red flag warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.