Oregon, 2003

Wildfire in Oregon, September 26 to 27, 2003

September 26 to 27, 2003 · NWS MFR · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A Red Flag Warning, effective at the above times, was issued for the ridges of Fire Weather zones 620/621/623. This included all ridges in Josephine county, the western, southern, and eastern edges of Jackson county, far western Klamath county, and a very small portion of southeast Douglas county.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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, effective at the above times, was issued for the ridges of Fire Weather zones 620/621/623. This included all ridges in Josephine county, the western, southern, and eastern edges of Jackson county, far western Klamath county, and a very small portion of southeast Douglas county. Very dry conditions were expected with significant winds. The Squaw Peak RAWS came closest to verifying the warning, but didn't quite make it. No other RAWS in the area approached warning criteria.

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 Sep 26, 7:30 AM PST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 26, 7:30 AM PST, 3 hours before
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
830 AM PDT FRI SEP 26 2003

THERMAL TROUGH ALONG THE SOUTH COAST EXTENDS NORTH TO NEAR BANDON.
SATELLITE SHOWS SOLID LOW CLOUDS TO BANDON AND MAY CREEP CLOSE TO
NORTH BEND DURING THE DAY. THERMAL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT
NORTHWARD ALONG THE COAST TONIGHT WITH OFFSHORE GRADIENT WEAKENING.
LATEST ETA12 MOVES THE THERMAL TROUGH OVER THE INLAND WEST SIDE
VALLEYS SATURDAY THEN TO THE KLAMATH BASIN SUNDAY. BY MONDAY MODELS
STILL WANT TO EJECT CLOSED LOW NOW NEAR 35/135 TO OFF THE OREGON
COAST. COOLER TEMPS ARE EXPECTED BUT THE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN DRY.

.MFR...NONE.

RH
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 26, 9:45 AM PST, 45 minutes before
ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-271330-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
1045 AM PDT FRI SEP 26 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE RIDGES OF FIRE ZONES
620...621 AND 623 IN SOUTHWEST OREGON FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
AND GUSTY WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

JACOBS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Josephine

When
September 26, 10:30 AM PST to September 27, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Josephine County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.366, -123.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Wildfire, Jackson

When
September 26, 10:30 AM PST to September 27, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Jackson County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.432, -122.728 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Wildfire, Douglas

When
September 26, 10:30 AM PST to September 27, 1:00 PM PST
Where
Douglas County, Countywide
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.285, -123.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Wildfire, Klamath

When
September 26, 10:30 AM PST to September 27, 1:00 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.

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 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, September 2003

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: 5375293, 5375294, 5375295, 5375296.