Wildfire and Heavy Rain in Washington, August 2 to 30, 1998

Name: Wildfire and Heavy Rain in Washington, August 2 to 30, 1998
Start: 1998-08-02T23:00
End: 1998-08-30T14:00
Location: Washington

August 2 to 30, 1998 · NWS OTX · 8 events in 6 counties and zones

6 wildfire, 2 heavy rain, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $10 million
Crop damage: $82 million
Events: 8

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.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 wildfire, 2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Chelan

When: August 2, 11:00 PM PST to August 30, 2:00 PM PST
Where: Chelan County, 25 mi NW of Chelan
Property damage: $10 million
Crop damage: $80 million
Reported by: PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates: 47.869, -120.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning sparked a large fire at Twenty five mile creek on Lake Chelan. Over 6300 acres of forest land have burned. The fire was allowed to burn out and will not be officially out until mid October.

Wildfire, Whitman

When: August 6, 1:30 AM PST to August 7, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Whitman County, 5 mi N of Diamond
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.901, -117.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dry and windy conditions help spread small three wild fires in farm fields near Diamond. About 11 acres of wheat and timber were burned. One grain elevator was destroyed.

Wildfire, Adams

When: August 6, 10:00 AM PST to August 7, 7:00 PM PST
Where: Adams County, 10 mi S of Ritzville
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $60,000
Crop damage: $2.0 million
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.983, -118.560 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A tractor sparked a fire in a wheat field which was fanned by gusty winds. Over 20,000 acres were burned and a rancher was injuried.

Wildfire, Lincoln

When: August 10, 2:30 PM PST to August 11, 1:00 AM PST
Where: Lincoln County, 4 mi N of Davenport
Property damage: $2,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.576, -118.419 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dry and windy conditions helped fan a wild fire in wheat field. A truck sparked the fire which burned over 1000 acres of farm land and timber.

Heavy Rain, Ferry

When: August 10, 5:00 PM PST to 5:15 PM PST
Where: Ferry County, 4 mi N of Orient
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.470, -118.516 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One inch of rain in 15 minutes

Wildfire, Lincoln

When: August 21, 12:00 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where: Lincoln County, 10 mi S of Davenport
Property damage: $7,000
Crop damage: $1,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.576, -118.419 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning sparked a small fire on a grassy hillside south of Davenport. Over 70 acres of grass and timber were burned.

Heavy Rain, Okanogan

When: August 21, 4:00 PM PST to 4:30 PM PST
Where: Okanogan County, 18 mi NE of Wauconda
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.549, -119.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A half of rain in 30 minutes.

Wildfire, Ferry

When: August 21, 10:00 PM PST to August 23, 7:00 PM PST
Where: Ferry County, 5 mi W of Curlew
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $60,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.470, -118.516 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning sparked many fires near Curlew lake in forest land. Over 40 fires were reported with over 1300 acres burned.

What these are

Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, August 1998

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: 5661304, 5661214, 5661215, 5661213, 5660964, 5661217, 5660965, 5661216.