Oregon, 2001

Wildfire in Oregon, June 23, 2001

June 23, 2001 · NWS MFR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A Red Flag Warning was issued for Fire Weather zones 624 and 625, which encompasses most of Klamath and Lake counties. Strong winds and low humidities were expected over the area, but the reported winds did not meet Red Flag Warning criteria.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 MFR wrote it up.

A Red Flag Warning was issued for Fire Weather zones 624 and 625, which encompasses most of Klamath and Lake counties. Strong winds and low humidities were expected over the area, but the reported winds did not meet Red Flag Warning criteria. The warning was cancelled when the humidity levels rose around sunset.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 23, 7:30 AM PST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 23, 7:30 AM PST, 0 minutes before
SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
830 AM PDT SAT JUN 23 2001

OFFSHORE TROUGH PROGRESSING AS EXPECTED WITH ASSOCIATED HIGH CLOUDS
INCHING CLOSER TO OUR AREA AND THE DEEPENING MARINE LAYER MAKING
BETTER INLAND PROGRESS WITH TIME.  BIGGEST CONCERN TODAY WILL BE THE
WINDS.  WEST OF THE CASCADES WINDS WILL PICK UP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON
AND BECOME GUSTY ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF THE UMPQUA DIVIDE AND THROUGH
THE GAPS IN THE CASCADES.  THIS MAY BE OF SOME CONCERN TO FIRE
MANAGERS AS HUMIDITIES WILL INITIALLY BE LOW IN THOSE AREAS THIS
AFTERNOON.  EAST OF THE CASCADES HUMIDITIES WILL BE VERY LOW.
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL SURFACE THIS AFTERNOON PRODUCING RED FLAG
CONDITIONS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 624 AND 625.

THE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY BRINGING A COOLER AND MORE
MOIST AIR MASS TO OUR REGION.  THE MARINE LAYER SHOULD MAKE IT TO THE
CASCADES TONIGHT.  THEN SUNDAY...SOME RAIN IS EXPECTED ALONG THE
COAST AND IN THE UMPQUA BASIN AND CASCADES WITH SOME SPRINKLES
POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE.

THE TROUGH HANGS AROUND UNTIL WEDNESDAY...THEN THE RIDGE BEGINS TO
REBUILD FROM THE SOUTHWEST.  CURRENT FORECASTS COVER THIS SCENARIO
WELL SO NO CHANGES ARE ANTICIPATED.  GETTMAN

.MFR...RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RH THIS AFTERNOON AND
       EVENING FIRE WEATHER ZONES 624/625.

OTH EE 063/050 062/049 064 031340
4BK EE 063/050 062/048 065 030230
RBG BE 074/050 068/048 075 030230
MFR BB 086/049 073/047 078 030110
LMT UB 080/038 068/036 072 030000
LKV UB 082/042 068/039 073 030000
MHS UB 082/045 068/041 074 030000

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Klamath

When
June 23, 7:30 AM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where
Klamath County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.686, -121.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Wildfire, Lake

When
June 23, 7:30 AM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where
Lake County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.793, -120.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oregon in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, June 2001

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: 5250574, 5250575.