The Hammer Fire was a human-caused fire centered four miles NNW of Richland, burning 1270 acres.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
The Hammer Fire was a human-caused fire centered four miles NNW of Richland, burning 1270 acres.
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 Jun 16, 7:30 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR 830 PM PDT THU JUN 16 2005 .SHORT TERM...MAIN CONCERN THIS EVENING IS GUSTY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH DOWN DRAFTS IN SHOWERS MOVING ACROSS THE CWA. NONE OF THESE SHOWERS HAVE PRODUCED ANY LIGHTNING. HOWEVER THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE IS DRY SO THERE IS SIGNIFICANT EVAPORATION TAKING PLACE OF THE RAIN AS IT FALLS INTO THE LOWER LEVEL DRY AIR. THIS IS CAUSING THE AIR UNDER THE RAIN TO COOL AND BECOME HEAVY AND THEN RUSH TO THE GROUND AS A DOWN DRAFT AND THEN SPREAD OUT. THE WINDIEST AREAS THIS EVENING HAVE BEEN JUST NORTH AHEAD OF A LINE OF SHOWERS MOVING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. WINDS SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH WERE COMMON IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS AS THE SHOWERS MOVED INTO THE AREA. THESE WINDS ARE NOW BEGINNING TO DIMINISH AS THE SHOWERS MOVE OFF TO THE NORTH AND AS THE LOWER LEVELS BECOME MORE MOIST. WILL UPDATE THE FORECAST AGAIN LATER THIS EVENING TO REMOVE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT SINCE THE INSTABILITY IS BEING LOST TO ENDED SOLAR HEATING. HOWEVER THERE WILL STILL BE SOME MID LEVEL INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LARGER SCALE FEATURES OF THIS STRONG WEATHER SYSTEM. ON FRIDAY AN UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...WHICH IS CAUSING THESE SHOWERS AND WIND...WILL VERY SLOWLY MOVE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WITH SHOWERY CONDITIONS AND STILL THE THREAT OF ISOLATED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. PREVIOUS LONG TERM DISCUSSION ISSUED AT 230 PM PDT THU JUNE 16 .LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...EXTENDED MODELS ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME HANDLING THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. AS A RESULT...NOT MAKING MANY CHANGES...AND TRENDING THE FORECAST MORE TOWARDS THE ECMWF...WHICH KEEPS THE TROUGH CLOSER TO THE COAST BEFORE LIFTING OVER THE REGION TUESDAY. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE A SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVER EASTERN OREGON AND WASHINGTON THROUGH TUESDAY. THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW LOOKS REMAIN SLIGHTLY TROUGHY TO MORE FLATTENED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THEREFORE...JUST KEEPING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVER THE CASCADE CRESTS AND THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST OREGON. && .AVIATION...STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL BE COMMON IN THE VICINITY OF RAIN SHOWERS THROUGH THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. EXPECT WINDS OF 15 TO 25 KTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THESE WINDS WILL DECREASE OVERNIGHT AS THE SHOWERS MOVE OFF TO THE NORTH AND THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE BECOMES MORE MOIST. OTHERWISE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE VFR CONDITIONS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 52 67 48 71 / 60 50 20 30 ALW 56 69 51 73 / 60 50 20 30 PSC 55 72 50 77 / 50 40 20 20 YKM 52 69 46 74 / 60 40 20 20 HRI 54 71 49 75 / 50 40 20 20 ELN 50 65 46 70 / 60 40 20 20 RDM 42 61 40 65 / 60 50 40 30 LGD 51 65 46 67 / 60 50 30 30 5J0 47 64 44 67 / 60 50 30 30 DLS 53 69 51 74 / 60 40 30 30 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...NONE. WA...NONE. && TI:GGG FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT... WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON 88/82/88
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTION TO TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
130 PM PDT THU JUN 16 2005
WAZ024>030-ORZ041>050-171115-
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-
130 PM PDT THU JUN 16 2005
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
THUNDERSTORMS
EAST COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, 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
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
WILL TRIGGER ISOLATED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...EXCEPT FOR THE
KITTITAS AND YAKIMA VALLEYS AS WELL AS THE COLUMBIA BASIN. TONIGHT
ALL AREAS WILL HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AS A STRONG
SHORT WAVE SWINGS THROUGH THE AREA. INSTABILITY FOR THIS AFTERNOON
IS ONLY MARGINAL FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT DUE TO RELATIVELY DRY
AIR AT THE SURFACE AND MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WHICH WILL LIMIT SURFACE
HEATING. THE GFS MODEL SOUNDING SHOWS ONLY MARGINAL INSTABILITY
FOR THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AS WELL. SOME STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP
TODAY AND TONIGHT MAY BECOME STRONG. THE MAIN THREAT FROM
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY
EAST COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, 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
A MARGINALLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA ON FRIDAY
AS AN UPPER LEVEL CLOSED LOW OFF THE OREGON COAST PROVIDES A
SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT. INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO BE MARGINAL AGAIN
ON FRIDAY THUS THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE SHOULD BE ISOLATED WITH NO
STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
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:
WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PENDLETON/CURRENTHAZARDS/HWO.HTML
ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE...EXCEPT THE H IN
CURRENT HAZARDS.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, June 2005
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: 5455609.