A wildfire occurred in the town of Rescue on May 12th.
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 STO wrote it up.
A wildfire occurred in the town of Rescue on May 12th.
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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 12, 2:50 PM PST, 3 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 350 PM PDT MON MAY 12 2008 .DISCUSSION... MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES THIS EVENING WITH SOME THIN CIRRUS STREAMING ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. WINDS ARE BEGINNING TO LESSEN AND WILL CONTINUE A DOWNWARD TREND TONIGHT AS THE NORTH-SOUTH GRADIENT FROM MEDFORD TO SACRAMENTO IS ON THE DECLINE. THEREFORE...WILL LET WIND ADVISORY EXPIRE AT 4PM. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING NEAR THE WEST COAST WILL STRENGTHEN AND BUILD INLAND THROUGH THE WEEK. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE SIMILAR TO A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN LAST NIGHT. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TOMORROW SHOULD INCREASE AROUND 5 TO 10 DEGREES. MODEL OUTPUT...INCLUDING THE ECMWF...NAM...AND GFS...INDICATE THAT 850 MB TEMPS WILL MAKE A JUMP TUESDAY. AVERAGE 850 MB TEMP TUESDAY MORNING WILL BE NEAR 11 DEG C INCREASING TO 16.5 DEG C. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL BE MODERATE TO LOCALLY STRONG AGAIN TOMORROW ALLOWING THE WARM AIRMASS ALOFT TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE AND BOOST MAX TEMPS INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S FOR THE VALLEY. AS THAT AIRMASS CONTINUES TO WARM ALOFT...MODELS POINT TO THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY BEING THE PEAK PERIOD OF HEAT AS TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 100 FOR SEVERAL VALLEY LOCATIONS. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON THE BREEZY SIDE WITH LOCALLY STRONG GUSTS 25-35 MPH IN THE VALLEY AND 35 TO 45 MPH IN HIGHER TERRAIN. JBB .EXTENDED (FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA THROUGH THIS WEEKEND...BEFORE BREAKING DOWN EARLY NEXT WEEK. AS A RESULT...HOT TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH NEAR RECORD TEMPERATURES POSSIBLE THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY. THE 12Z GFS TRIES TO BREAK THIS RIDGE DOWN BY THE WEEKEND...BUT THIS MODEL SEEMS TO BE THE OUTLIER AND THEREFORE DISCOUNTED AT THIS TIME. PALMER && .AVIATION...DRY NORTHERLY FLOW WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION TODAY AND TRANSITION TO MORE NORTHEASTERLY TONIGHT. AS A RESULT...GUSTY NORTHWEST TO NORTHERLY WINDS IN THE VALLEY WILL EASE THIS EVENING...WHILE GUSTY NORTHEAST AND EAST WINDS DEVELOP OVER THE SIERRA TONIGHT. GUSTS UP TO 35 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE SIERRA AND THROUGH FAVORED CANYONS THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. OTHERWISE...EXPECT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. CKP && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE SACRAMENTO AND NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS...EASTERN FOOTHILLS...AND LAKE COUNTY FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THRU FRIDAY MORNING. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 433 PM PDT MON MAY 12 2008 CAZ015>019-064-066-067-132345- NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY- SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA- NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY- NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY-MOTHERLODE- 433 PM PDT MON MAY 12 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NORTHERLY WINDS OF 10 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT...OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH SATURDAY. NEAR RECORD TO RECORD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...SEE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT. GUSTY NORTH TO EAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THE GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO LINGER INTO FRIDAY. THE GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES WILL BRING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WARRANTING A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN THE SACRAMENTO AND NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS AND EASTERN FOOTHILLS ALONG WITH THE DELTA AND LAKE COUNTY. * FIRE WEATHER WATCH.........SEE WWUS86 KSTO - RFWSTO FOR DETAILS * * SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..SEE WWUS86 KSTO - SPSSTO FOR DETAILS * THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/STO CAZ013-014-063-068-069-132345- SHASTA LAKE AREA / NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY- BURNEY BASIN / EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY- MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY- WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK- WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- 433 PM PDT MON MAY 12 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH SATURDAY. NEAR RECORD TO RECORD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...SEE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT. GUSTY NORTH TO EAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THE GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO LINGER INTO FRIDAY. THE WARM TEMPERATURES IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL ACCELERATE SNOW MELT...POSSIBLY RESULTING IN RAPIDLY RUNNING STREAMS. * SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..SEE WWUS86 KSTO - SPSSTO FOR DETAILS * THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/STO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 240 PM PDT MON MAY 12 2008 CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-140000- SHASTA LAKE AREA / NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY- BURNEY BASIN / EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY- CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY- NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY-MOTHERLODE- WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK- WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- 240 PM PDT MON MAY 12 2008 ...WATCH OUT FOR HOT TEMPERATURES AND COLD WATER LATER THIS WEEK... AN UNUSUALLY STRONG HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AND PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE AS MUCH AS 20 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS BY THURSDAY THROUGHOUT NORTHERN INTERIOR CALIFORNIA...WITH SOME NEAR RECORD OR RECORD TEMPERATURES POSSIBLE. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND DELTA REGION COULD SOAR TO AROUND 100 DEGREES BY THURSDAY WHILE THE FOOTHILLS... NORTHEAST PLATEAU...AND LOWER PORTIONS OF LAKE COUNTY MAY REACH THE UPPER 80S AND 90S. EVEN AT 6000 FEET IN THE MOUNTAINS SOME AREAS WILL CREEP INTO THE 80S. TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S CAN CAUSE HEAT FATIGUE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. AS TEMPERATURES INCREASE...HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT CRAMPS BECOME LIKELY AND HEAT STROKE IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING IN FULL SUN DRINKING ALCOHOL FOR HOURS ON END OR WHO ARE INVOLVED IN RIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. ALL HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES ARE PREVENTABLE. COMMON TECHNIQUES FOR BEATING THE HEAT INCLUDE TAKING COOLING BREAKS UNTIL YOU FEEL RESTED...DRINKING PLENTY OF WATER...AND AVOIDING PHYSICAL EXERTION DURING THE HOTTEST HOURS OF THE DAY. AT THE SAME TIME...RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL BE RUNNING QUICKLY WITH COLD WATER...DUE TO RECENT SNOWMELT. THIS WILL CAUSE LOWER ELEVATION RESERVOIRS...RIVERS AND STREAMS TO HAVE DANGEROUSLY COLD WATER. THEREFORE...THE COMBINATION OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURES AND THIS COLD WATER CAN CREATE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. PEOPLE WADING...RAFTING OR FISHING IN THESE COLD WATERS BECOME VICTIMS OF THE COLD WATER EVERY YEAR...EITHER THROUGH HYPOTHERMIA OR DROWNING IN FAST-MOVING WATER. WATER TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND 50S CAN BRING ON A SUDDEN LOSS OF BODY TEMPERATURE. THIS IS CALLED HYPOTHERMIA. THE EXPECTED TIME BEFORE EXHAUSTION OR UNCONSCIOUSNESS SETS IN FOR A HEALTHY ADULT MAY BE AS LITTLE AS 30 TO 60 MINUTES. HYPOTHERMIA NORMALLY OCCURS FASTER IN CHILDREN THAN ADULTS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MAY BE FOUND AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/STO AND AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/HEAT/ EM/CKP/JBB
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A wildfire near the town of Rescue caused the evacuation of 50 homes. No damage or injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 2008
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: 107464.