Oregon, 2003Wildfire in Oregon, September 1 to 17, 2003
September 1 to 17, 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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- Heat and drought
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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 31, 6:20 PM PST, 5 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 6:20 PM PST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
NORTHEAST OREGON/SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
720 PM PDT SUN AUG 31 2003
CLEAR SKIES ARE PREVAILING ACROSS MOST OF EASTERN OREGON AND
WASHINGTON THIS EVENING...WITH A FEW HIGH CLOUDS STILL PRESENT TO
OUR NORTH AND SOUTH. SMOKE ALSO CONTINUES TO FILL THE SKIES ACROSS
CENTRAL OREGON AND MUCH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN...AS THE B AND B
COMPLEX/S SMOKE PLUME DRIFTS TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST. THE WEAK
WAVE THAT MOVED THROUGH BRITISH COLUMBIA AND WASHINGTON EARLIER
TODAY IS STILL CAUSING BREEZY CONDITIONS IN THE KITTITAS VALLEY AND
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE THIS EVENING. THESE WINDS WILL DECREASE
LATER...AS PRESSURE GRADIENTS BEGIN TO WEAKEN AFTER SUNSET.
TOMORROW WILL BE ANOTHER NICE DAY...WITH CLEAR...BUT SMOKEY SKIES
AND WARMER TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION. CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS
ON TRACK...AND NO UPDATES ARE PLANNED AT THIS TIME. PALMER
PDT 0000 ALW 0000 PSC 0000 YKM 0000
.KPDT...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 3:38 AM PST, 20 hours 22 minutes before
ORZ041>050-WAZ024>030-011200-
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
438 AM PDT SUN AUG 31 2003
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE... TODAY
THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.
Wildfire, Jefferson
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM PST to September 17, 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 began on August 19th and burned a total of 91,000 acres. The cause of the fire was determined to be prior lightning strikes which created 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 personnel 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.
- Rip Current in Florida, September 1, 20032 deaths · 1 event
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Indiana, September 1 to 3, 2003$20 million · 47 events
- Flooding in Indiana, September 1 to 11, 2003$22 million · 11 events
- Flooding in Indiana, September 1 to 4, 20031 death · 2 events
- Rip Current in Florida, September 1, 20031 death · 1 event
- Flooding in Indiana, September 1 to 2, 2003$2.0 million · 2 events
- Damaging Wind in Indiana, September 1, 20031 injured · $200,000 · 60 kt wind · 1 event
- Wildfire in Montana, September 1 to 30, 2003$250,000 · 1 event
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in Ohio, September 1, 2003$54,000 · 50 kt wind · 15 events
- Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, September 1, 2003$100,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, September 1 to 2, 2003$90,000 · 1 event
- Tropical Storm in Texas, September 1 to 2, 2003$63,000 · 6 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: 5337102.