California, 2008Wildfire in California, June 21 to 30, 2008
June 21 to 30, 2008 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Lightning from a thunderstorm event on 06/21/08 ignited numerous fires across northern California. Most of these were extinguished but one major fire in Siskiyou County was still active at the end of the month: the Siskiyou Complex.
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
Open the live radar over this ground
- 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.
Lightning from a thunderstorm event on 06/21/08 ignited numerous fires across northern California. Most of these were extinguished but one major fire in Siskiyou County was still active at the end of the month: the Siskiyou Complex. As of 0430 PDT on 07/01/08, this fire was 7988 acres in size and 23% contained with an estimated containment date of 08/15/08. 3.98 million had been expended in fire fighting efforts.
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 Jun 21, 1:56 AM PST, 4 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 1:56 AM PST, 4 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
256 AM PDT SAT JUN 21 2008
.DISCUSSION...SHORT WAVE ACTIVITY AND MID LEVEL INSTABILITY IN
ADVANCE OF APPROACHING UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO ALLOW FOR
ISOLATED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE WEE HOURS
THIS MORNING. LOOKS LIKE ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH DAYBREAK
AND PROBABLY INTENSIFY AND EXPAND IN AREAL COVERAGE THROUGH THE
LATE MORNING AND INTO AFTERNOON AS BEST UPWARD FORCING ARRIVES IN
FAST DIVERGENT UPPER FLOW. REAR RIGHT OF NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED 300
MB JET STREAK ALSO LOOKS TO POSITION WELL TO AID IN FAVORABLE
DYNAMICS. ACTIVITY SHOULD SHIFT EASTWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
WITH DRIER AIR MOVING IN THROUGH THE EVENING.
ALSO OF CHIEF INTEREST ASIDE FROM THUNDER TODAY IS THE WINDY
CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE EAST. GUSTS OF 30 TO 35 MPH ARE
EXPECTED FROM LATE AFTERNOON INTO EVENING AND LOCALLY HIGHER IN
STORMS. INVERTED-V SHOWING UP ON FORECAST SOUNDINGS...MEANING
DRY AND UNSTABLE AIR IN THE LOW LEVELS WILL BE ABLE TO ALLOW MID
LEVEL MOMENTUM TRANSFER DOWNWARD. 10 KFT MSL WINDS OF 30 TO 40
KTS ARE EXPECTED.
BEHIND THE TROUGH SUNDAY INTO MID WEEK THE UPPER LEVELS DRY OUR
CONSIDERABLY WITH VERY LITTLE COOLING. HEIGHTS BUILD OVER OREGON
AS MID LEVEL TROUGH TAKES SHAPE ALONG THE CA COAST WED INTO NEXT
WEEKEND WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR WARMER WEATHER AND PERHAPS SOME
EASTERLY COMPONENT AT THE MID LEVELS WHICH MAY COMBINE FOR
THUNDERSTORMS. HAVE COORDINATED WITH SRN OFFICES IN ADDING THIS
MENTION TO THE FORECAST TODAY.
&&
.AVIATION...VFR WEATHER ACROSS THE BOARD THIS MORNING WILL
PREVAIL THROUGH THE DAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE AS THE DAY
PROGRESSES...MAINLY CASCADES AND EAST...SHIFTING EASTWARD THROUGH
LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FAST MID LEVEL WINDS WILL TRANSLATE TO
THE SURFACE EAST OF THE CASCADES WITH AFTERNOON AND EVENING GUSTS
30-40 MPH.
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...NONE.
CA...NONE.
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...NONE.
STAVISH
Wildfire, Western Siskiyou County
- When
- June 21, 2:00 AM PST to June 30, 11:59 PM PST
- Where
- Western Siskiyou County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Other Federal Agency
- Coordinates
- 41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
This fire started in a lightning outbreak on 06/21/08. This was the largest and longest lasting fire in Siskiyou County. As of 0430 PDT on 07/01/08, this fire was 7988 acres in size and 3.98 million dollars had been spent in firefighting efforts. The estimated containment date was 08/15/08.
- 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.
- Lightning Strike in Florida, June 21, 20082 deaths · 1 event
- Wildfire in California, June 21 to 30, 200824 injured · 7 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, June 21, 20081 death · 3 injured · 50 kt wind · 2 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, June 21, 2008$358,000 · 1.75 in hail · 48 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Nebraska, June 21, 2008$1.6 million · 1.75 in hail · 8 events
- Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, June 21, 2008$275,000 · 50 kt wind · 6 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, June 21, 2008$155,000 · EF0 · 13 events
- Flash Flood and Hail in Michigan, June 21, 2008$105,000 · 1.75 in hail · 21 events
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Georgia, June 21, 2008$89,000 · 50 kt wind · 6 events
- Hail in North Carolina, June 21, 2008$100,000 · 1 in hail · 2 events
- Tornado and Flash Flood in South Carolina, June 21, 20081 injured · $25,000 · EF0 · 23 events
- Damaging Wind in Arizona, June 21, 2008$50,000 · 51 kt wind · 1 event
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: 100461.