Oregon, 2000

Lightning Strike in Oregon, August 24, 2000

August 24, 2000 · NWS PDT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Lightning started several fires that later grew into the Eastside Complex Fire. These fires were located in the Hell's Canyon National Recreation Area and became Oregon's largest of the season at 93, 450 acres.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.

Lightning started several fires that later grew into the Eastside Complex Fire. These fires were located in the Hell's Canyon National Recreation Area and became Oregon's largest of the season at 93, 450 acres. They weren't fully contained until September 3rd.

The radar

The Pendleton radar (KPDT), 131 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Wallowa

When
August 24, 3:39 PM PST
Where
Wallowa County, 37 mi NE of Enterprise
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
45.580, -117.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oregon in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, August 2000

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: 5173906.