Oregon, 2003Wildfire in Oregon, August 19 to 31, 2003
August 19 to 31, 2003 · NWS PDT · 1 event in 1 county or zone
1 wildfire, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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.
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- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
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- Hail
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- Heat and drought
- Cold
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- Marine and coastal
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- 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 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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 19, 7:40 AM PST, 4 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 19, 7:40 AM PST, 4 hours 20 minutes before
NORTHEAST OREGON/SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
840 AM PDT TUE AUG 19 2003
STABLE MARINE AIR WAS FILTERING INTO PORTIONS OF THE BASIN. WINDS
OVER DLS/ELN WERE ALREADY BLOWING OUT OF THE WEST AND GUSTING. THE
BREEZY MARINE AIR WILL PUSH INTO MOST PORTIONS OF THE BASIN THIS
AFTN PRODUCING OCCASIONAL BLOWING DUST.
AHEAD OF THE MARINE AIR...MID LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTS INTO THE
EASTERN FA THIS LATE AFTN. A 5H/VORT MAX NEARS THE REGION ALONG WITH
AN UPPER LEVEL JET. THIS WILL DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE AND BREAK
THE CAP WITH A FEW TS DEVELOPING PRIMARILY EAST OF A LINE FROM WALLA
WALLA TO SENECA. I HAVE UPDATED THE SE FA TO INCLUDE ISOLD TS FOR
AREAS NEAR JOHN DAY/SENECA FOR THIS AFTN/EVE. OTHERWISE THE
REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST APPEARS ON TRACK.
PDT 000 ALW 000 PSC 000 YKM 000
.KPDT...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 19, 4:00 AM PST, 8 hours before
ORZ041>050-WAZ024>030-201200-
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
500 AM PDT TUE AUG 19 2003
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...
THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.
A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TODAY WILL
BRINGING BREEZY WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND KITTITAS
VALLEY. THIS SYSTEM MAY ALSO TRIGGER ISOLATED DRY THUNDERSTORMS IN
NORTHEAST OREGON AS WELL.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.
Wildfire, Jefferson
- When
- August 19, 12:00 PM PST to August 31, 11:59 PM PST
- Where
- Jefferson County, 4 mi W of Camp Sherman
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 44.629, -121.175 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Booth and Bear Butte Fires burned a total of 91,000 acres. The cause of the fire was determined to be prior lightning strikes which created some hot spots that later flared up into a wildfire. Dry conditions and occasionally higher winds contributed to the growth of the fire. Hundreds of residents were evacuated from Camp Sherman. Eight camp cabins were destroyed at the Round Lake Christian Camp. In addition, three other outbuildings were also destroyed. More than 2,000 personal were involved in the Booth and Bear Butte Fires. The cost of fighting the fire totaled more than 32 million dollars. The property damage from this event is unknown.
- 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.
- Flash Flood in Nevada, August 19, 2003$2.0 million · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in South Dakota, August 19, 2003$100,000 · 70 kt wind · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Nebraska, August 19, 2003$90,000 · 1 event
- Wildfire and Damaging Winds in Montana, August 19, 2003$25,000 · 62 kt wind · 4 events
- Damaging Wind in Nevada, August 19, 2003$25,000 · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Kansas, August 19, 2003$20,000 · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, August 19, 20031 in hail · 13 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, August 19, 2003$13,000 · 56 kt wind · 7 events
- Hail in Kansas, August 19, 20031 in hail · 3 events
- Hail in Nebraska, August 19, 20030.75 in hail · 3 events
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 19, 2003$6,000 · 50 kt wind · 2 events
- Damaging Winds in Missouri, August 19, 200352 kt wind · 2 events
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: 5333629.