Wildfire in Oregon, September 1 to 11, 2007

Name: Wildfire in Oregon, September 1 to 11, 2007
Start: 2007-09-01T00:00
End: 2007-09-11T18:00
Location: Oregon

September 1 to 11, 2007 · NWS PDT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The GW Fire, 13 miles west of Sisters, was started by lightning and burned 7,357 acres between August 31 and September 11. Residents of Black Butte Ranch were evacuated on September 3 and allowed to return September 4.

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.

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, 10:00 PM PST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 10:00 PM PST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1100 PM PDT FRI AUG 31 2007

UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION

.SHORT TERM...A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA LATE
THIS AFTERNOON THUS BRINGING A CHANGE OF AIR MASS AND MUCH MORE
STABLE AIR INTO THE REGION. THE FRONT HAS PUSHED THE THUNDERSTORMS
OFF TO THE NORTHEAST AND OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA. THEREFORE...THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WAS CANCELLED AS OF 700 PM PDT. A FEW
LINGERING SHOWERS AND AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE IN
WALLOWA...UNION AND EASTERN GRANT COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM PDT THIS
EVENING. OTHERWISE...EXPECT CLEARING SKIES THIS EVENING.  POLAN

&&

.AVIATION...A COLD FRONT MOVED THROUGH THE REGION LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND HAS BROUGHT A DRIER AND INCREASINGLY STABLE AIR MASS
WITH IT...THUS REMOVING THE CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS. VFR CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES AND ALONG ALL TWEB ROUTES FOR THE NEXT
24 HOURS.  POLAN

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 230 PM PDT FRI AUG 31 2007/

LONG TERM...LABOR DAY THROUGH FRIDAY...FAIR WEATHER WILL CONTINUE
ON MONDAY...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S IN THE
LOWER ELEVATIONS AND 80S IN THE MOUNTAINS. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
WILL MOVE TOWARD THE COAST DURING THE DAY...AND MOVE INLAND
OVERNIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL SPREAD A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS
THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES ON
TUESDAY DROPPING AROUND 10 DEGREES FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE SYSTEM
WILL DEPART THE REGION OVERNIGHT WITH DECREASING CHANCES OF
PRECIPITATION OVER THE NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS. FAIR WEATHER AND WARMER
TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUE
THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.  DK

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  57  86  58  87 /  10   0   0   0
ALW  64  87  60  88 /  10   0   0   0
PSC  54  89  54  89 /   0   0   0   0
YKM  52  84  54  86 /   0   0   0  10
HRI  56  88  55  88 /   0   0   0   0
ELN  53  82  52  82 /   0   0   0  10
RDM  47  87  44  87 /   0   0   0   0
LGD  57  90  51  89 /  20  10  10  10
GCD  55  86  51  88 /  20  10   0  10
DLS  57  86  59  85 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ORZ610-611-
     630>635-638.

WA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WAZ631-633.

&&

TI:RGG
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
99/84/84

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 3:35 PM PST, 8 hours 25 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
435 PM PDT FRI AUG 31 2007

UPDATED FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING

ORZ041-WAZ024-501-502-026>030-ORZ042>044-049-050-501>506-011245-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-
KITTITAS VALLEY-YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS-NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-CENTRAL OREGON-
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-WALLOWA COUNTY-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
NORTHERN WHEELER AND SOUTHERN GILLIAM COUNTIES-JOHN DAY BASIN-
OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-
435 PM PDT FRI AUG 31 2007

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM PDT

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
664 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING. STRONG DAMAGING WINDS
AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON:

BENTON...COLUMBIA...FRANKLIN...WALLA WALLA

IN CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON:

CROOK...DESCHUTES...GRANT...GILLIAM...JEFFERSON...SHERMAN...
MORROW...UMATILLA...UNION...WALLOWA...WASCO...WHEELER

THUNDERSTORMS
     EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS
     VALLEY, YAKIMA VALLEY

RED FLAG WARNING
     LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE
     MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS, NORTH
     CENTRAL OREGON, CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF
     OREGON, GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY, FOOTHILLS OF THE
     BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON,
     SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN WHEELER AND
     SOUTHERN GILLIAM COUNTIES, JOHN DAY BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY
     HIGHLANDS

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

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH COULD CAUSE
SOME OF THE STORMS TO DEVELOP VERY STRONG WIND GUSTS THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED MOST OF THE
COUNTIES IN THE FORECAST AREA IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING UNTIL 900 PM PDT.

THE THREAT OF FIRE STARTS DUE TO LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE INTO THE
EVENING AS WELL. BREEZY WINDS OVER THE COLUMBIA BASIN LATER TODAY
COULD HELP WITH FIRE SPREAD IN THIS AREA. MEANWHILE LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY OFFSET SOME OF THE FIRE
START THREAT. A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREAS
LISTED FOR THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING ABUNDANT LIGHTNING. THE RED FLAG
WARNING...PDXRFWPDT...PROVIDES DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY
     WALLOWA COUNTY

LINGERING MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY MAY RESULT IN A STRAY SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM OVER WALLOWA COUNTY...OTHERWISE GENERALLY FAIR AND DRY
CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED SATURDAY. ANOTHER SYSTEM MAY MOVE ACROSS
THE REGION ON TUESDAY BRINGING SOME MORE SHOWERS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING
FOR THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE STRONG OR SEVERE.

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

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

WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PDT/CURRENTHAZARDS/HWO.HTML

ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE...EXCEPT THE H IN
CURRENTHAZARDS.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 31, 6:40 PM PST, 5 hours 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
740 PM PDT FRI AUG 31 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0315 PM     HAIL             2 NNE IONE              45.52N 119.81W
08/31/2007  E0.75 INCH       MORROW             OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            3/4 INCH HAIL FELL JUST NORTH OF THE TOWN OF LEXINGTON.

&&

JMITTEL

Local storm report, Aug 31, 7:11 PM PST, 4 hours 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
811 PM PDT FRI AUG 31 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0310 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 ENE MITCHELL          44.58N 120.11W
08/31/2007                   WHEELER            OR   CO-OP OBSERVER

            ESTIMATED WINDS OVER 40 MPH CAUSED 6 INCH TREE LIMB TO
            FALL.

&&

AMA

Local storm report, Aug 31, 9:26 PM PST, 2 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1026 PM PDT FRI AUG 31 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0310 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 ENE MITCHELL          44.58N 120.11W
08/31/2007                   WHEELER            OR   CO-OP OBSERVER

            ESTIMATED WINDS OVER 40 MPH CAUSED 6 INCH TREE LIMB TO
            FALL.

0315 PM     HAIL             2 NNE IONE              45.52N 119.81W
08/31/2007  E0.75 INCH       MORROW             OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            3/4 INCH HAIL FELL JUST NORTH OF THE TOWN OF LEXINGTON.

0430 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WESTON                  45.82N 118.43W
08/31/2007                   UMATILLA           OR   PUBLIC

            TREE DOWNED ONTO VEHICLE FROM THUNDERSTORM WINDS. NO
            INJURIES.

0430 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WALLA WALLA             46.07N 118.34W
08/31/2007                   WALLA WALLA        WA   AMATEUR RADIO

            AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR RECEIVED REPORT OF ESTIMATED 50

            MPH WINDS WHICH CAUSED POWER OUTAGE FOR PORTIONS OF CITY.

0450 PM     HAIL             2 NW TOLLGATE           45.79N 118.11W
08/31/2007  E0.88 INCH       UMATILLA           OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN REPORTED AT THE TOLLGATE STORE. HAIL
            UP TO THE SIZE OF A NICKEL FELL FIVE MINUTES EARLIER.
            CURRENTLY PEA-SIZED HAIL FALLING.

0515 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 E COVE                45.30N 117.79W
08/31/2007                   UNION              OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PEAK WIND GUST OF OVER 50 MPH ESTIMATED CAUSED 4 INCH
            TREE LIMBS TO FALL.

0540 PM     HEAVY RAIN       IMBLER                  45.46N 117.96W
08/31/2007  M0.87 INCH       UNION              OR   MESONET

            IMBLER HIGH SCHOOL WEATHER STATION RECEIVED STORM TOTAL
            PRECIPITATION OF 0.87 IN SIX HOURS.

&&

AMA

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Central Oregon

When: September 1, 12:00 AM PST to September 11, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Central Oregon forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

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 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, September 2007

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: 55010.