Colorado, 2002

Wildfire in Colorado, August 16 to 22, 2002

August 16 to 22, 2002 · NWS GJT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The Schaff #2 fire occurred in the San Juan National Forest. The fire occurred in the Weminuche Wilderness.

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
  • Other

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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 GJT wrote it up.

The Schaff #2 fire occurred in the San Juan National Forest. The fire occurred in the Weminuche Wilderness. 556 acres of forest were consumed and a few outbuildings were threatened. The cost of fighting the fire was 435 thousand dollars.

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 Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 16, 9:35 AM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 9:35 AM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
WESTERN COLORADO & EASTERN UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
1035 AM MDT FRI AUG 16 2002

UPDATED FOR RED FLAG WARNING HEADLINE BELOW. SURFACE WINDS EXPECTED
TO INCREASE TO ABOVE 20 MPH SUSTAINED ACROSS THE COLORADO NORTHWEST
PLATEAU...AS WELL AS THE EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAIN AND ROAN PLATEAU OF
NORTHEAST UTAH. TEMPS TO REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL WITH EXTREMELY LOW RH
AND HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER.

WV IMAGERY SHOWING A BROAD UPPER TROUGH ACROSS CANADA AND THE
NORTHERN TIER STATES. AN UPPER HIGH IS SITUATED OFF THE CALIFORNIA
COAST. A DRY WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA.

A SHORTWAVE IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA. SYSTEM IS
UNDERGOING SOME INTENSIFICATION PER WV LOOP. SYSTEM WILL MOVE
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND NORTHERN PLAINS TODAY.
THICKNESS PROGS SUGGEST AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO
NORTHERN UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. FRONT
WILL SLOW AS IT APPROACHES AND BECOMES MORE PARALLEL TO UPPER FLOW.
SHALLOW PUSH WITH THIS FRONT SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURE IMPACTS FAIRLY
MINIMAL AND MAINLY NORTH OF THE ROAN-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU. HOT AND DRY
CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH INCREASING WINDS AHEAD OF FRONT RAISES FIRE
WEATHER CONCERNS. INCREASED PRESSURE GRADIENTS AND GOOD MIXING SHOULD
PRODUCE ENOUGH WIND TO MEET RED FLAG CRITERIA THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ACROSS THE NORTH. MAY NEED TO EXTEND THE HEADLINE A LITTLE
FARTHER SOUTH THAN CURRENT FIRE WEATHER WATCH INDICATES. CONTINUED
VERY WARM ACROSS THE AREA TODAY WITH RECORD TEMPERATURES LIKELY IN
MANY OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LOW ELEVATION VALLEYS. FLOW BECOMES
MORE WEST SATURDAY WITH LESS WIND. WILL FAVOR ETA GUIDANCE
TEMPERATURES. SOME COOLING SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY NORTH. NO CHANGES TO
EXTENDED PORTION OF FORECAST. LINDQUIST

.GJT...RED FLAG WARNING 100 PM TO 1000 PM FOR NORTHWEST COLORADO
       /FIRE ZONE 201...NORTHERN 203/ AND NORTHEAST UTAH /ZONES 442
       AND 444.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, La Plata

When
August 16, 12:00 PM MST to August 22, 12:00 PM MST
Where
La Plata County, 23 mi N of Durango
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
37.287, -107.843 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 Colorado in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, August 2002

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: 5320732.