Wildfire in Oregon, July 28, 2005

Name: Wildfire in Oregon, July 28, 2005
Start: 2005-07-28T00:00
End: 2005-07-28T23:59
Location: Oregon

July 28, 2005 · NWS PDT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The Thief Valley Fire, centered four miles ENE of North Powder, was a lightning sparked fire that burned 240 acres.

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 PDT wrote it up.

The Thief Valley Fire, centered four miles ENE of North Powder, was a lightning sparked fire that burned 240 acres.

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 Jul 27, 7:30 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 27, 7:30 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
830 PM PDT WED JUL 27 2005

.DISCUSSION...A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD OVER THE
REGION THIS EVENING.  UNDERNEATH THIS RIDGE A SURFACE HEATING
INDUCED TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE HAS SETTLED OVER CENTRAL WASHINGTON
AND OREGON...CURRENTLY RESIDING ALONG THE CASCADE CREST.  WITH THE
RIDGE IN PLACE OVERNIGHT CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN DRY...MILD...AND
CLEAR.  THE THERMAL TROUGH WILL MIGRATE EASTWARD THURSDAY KEEPING
TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR MUCH OF THE AREA.  CURRENT
FORECAST SEEMS TO HANDLE THIS TREND WELL.  OTHER THAN UPDATING
FORECAST TO REMOVE EVENING WORDING...NO FURTHER UPDATES ARE
PLANNED.  CANTIN

&&

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS ALONG ALL TWEB ROUTES AND AT TAF SITES
TONIGHT.  WINDS AT SITE KDLS WILL REMAIN IN THE 8-12KT RANGE OUT OF
THE NORTHWEST...WHILE WINDS AT REMAINING TAF SITES WILL BE LIGHT.
THURSDAY VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST...WITH AFTERNOON WINDS IN THE
15 TO 20KT RANGE AT SITE KDLS. 96

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  62  98  60  93 /   0   0   0   0
ALW  67  99  68  94 /   0   0   0   0
PSC  59 101  61  95 /   0   0   0   0
YKM  58  97  58  91 /   0   0   0   0
HRI  64  99  61  93 /   0   0   0   0
ELN  58  89  61  87 /   0   0   0   0
RDM  55  95  47  93 /   0  10  10   0
LGD  57  93  55  92 /   0   0   0   0
5J0  55  98  53  98 /   0  10  10   0
DLS  65  99  62  92 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR ORZ041-ORZ042-ORZ043-
     ORZ044-ORZ045-ORZ046-ORZ047-ORZ048-ORZ049-ORZ050.

     HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR ORZ041-ORZ044-ORZ045.

WA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR WAZ024-WAZ028-WAZ029.

     RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR WAZ024-WAZ025-WAZ028-
     WAZ029-WAZ030.

&&

TI:GGG
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
96/96

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 27, 6:15 PM PST, 5 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
715 PM PDT WED JUL 27 2005

WAZ024>030-ORZ041>050-281215-
EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES-KITTITAS VALLEY-
YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS-EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON-
NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-CENTRAL OREGON-
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-BLUE MOUNTAINS-
JOHN DAY BASIN-OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-
WALLOWA COUNTY-
715 PM PDT WED JUL 27 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.

UPDATED TO REFRESH WORDING.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

RED FLAG WARNING
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, EAST SLOPES OF
     THE SOUTHERN CASCADES, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON,
     FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE
     MOUNTAINS, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH
     CENTRAL OREGON, CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF
     OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, BLUE
     MOUNTAINS, JOHN DAY BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS, GRANDE
     RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY

     CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FOREST OR LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR
     CURRENT FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS IN YOUR AREA.

HEAT ADVISORY
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, LOWER COLUMBIA
     BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
     WASHINGTON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE
     BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON

A THERMALLY INDUCED SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED
OVER CENTRAL WASHINGTON AND OREGON OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL CREATE VERY
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND A HOT AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. AS SUCH A
RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR LOW HUMIDITIES AND
HIGH HAINES INDEX VALUES OF 6. FOR DETAILS...REFER TO PRODUCT
PDXRFWPDT (WMO HEADER: WWUS86 KPDT).

A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT.  WARM OVERNIGHT
TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE EXPECTED IN THE EFFECTED AREAS.  FOR DETAILS
REFER TO THE PRODUCT PDXNPWPDT (WMO HEADER: WWUS76 KPDT).

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

RED FLAG WARNING THURSDAY
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, EAST SLOPES OF THE
     SOUTHERN CASCADES, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON,
     FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE
     MOUNTAINS, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH
     CENTRAL OREGON, CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF
     OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, BLUE
     MOUNTAINS, JOHN DAY BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS, GRANDE
     RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY

     CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FOREST OR LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR
     CURRENT FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS IN YOUR AREA.

HEAT ADVISORY THURSDAY
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, LOWER COLUMBIA
     BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
     WASHINGTON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE
     BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY
     BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, WALLOWA COUNTY

HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL REMAIN THE DOMINANT WEATHER FEATURE FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. THE THERMAL TROUGH WILL PARK
ITSELF OVER THE REGION DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. HOT...AND VERY DRY
CONDITIONS ARE TO BE EXPECTED ONCE AGAIN. AS SUCH THE RED FLAG
WARNING AND THE HEAT ADVISORY ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY.

A MODEST INCREASE IN MID LEVEL MOISTURE WILL MAKE ISOLATED AFTERNOON
AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST
OREGON ON THURSDAY.

MARINE AIR WILL PUSH THROUGH THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO COOL OFF...STARTING
IN THE GORGE...THEN SPREADING OVER THE REST OF THE COLUMBIA BASIN
THURSDAY EVENING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THURSDAY FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN
THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST OREGON.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

PROTOTYPE GRAPHICAL FORECASTS OF WEATHER HAZARDS OUT TO SEVEN DAYS
ARE DISPLAYED ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT:

WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON

AND SELECT GRAPHICAL HAZARDS.

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, Grand Ronde Valley

When: July 28, 12:00 AM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where: Grand Ronde Valley forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 45.310, -118.009 (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

Every storm in Oregon in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, July 2005

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: 5468345.