Oregon, 2008

Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 15, 2008

October 1 to 15, 2008 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Lightning from a thunderstorm event on 08/16/08 ignited a round of wildfires across southwest Oregon. The Lonesome Complex fires consisted of the Middle Fork, Lonesome, and Bessie Rock fires.

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.

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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 MFR wrote it up.

Lightning from a thunderstorm event on 08/16/08 ignited a round of wildfires across southwest Oregon. The Lonesome Complex fires consisted of the Middle Fork, Lonesome, and Bessie Rock fires. As of 09/01/08, all but the Middle Fork fires were contained. The Middle Fork fire was still burning when the last update was issued on 10/09/08. At that time, the size of the fire was 21175 acres and the was 90% contained. The estimated containment date was 10/15/08. No update on expenditures was available, but as of 09/01/08, 17.7 million dollars had been spent on firefighting 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 Sep 30, 7:48 PM PST, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 7:48 PM PST, 4 hours 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
848 PM PDT TUE SEP 30 2008

.DISCUSSION...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MOVED INTO MODOC AND EASTERN
KLAMATH AROUND QUARTZ MOUNTAIN THIS AFTERNOON WITH NO STRIKES
INDICATED AFTER 8 PM. IN THE COASTAL WATERS...LOW CLOUDS WERE
CONFINED NORTH OF FLORENCE BUT IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA
AFTER MIDNIGHT. NEW MODEL RUN IS STILL CONSISTENT WITH THE FIRST
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SHEARING INLAND ON THURSDAY WITH JUST LIGHT
PRECIPITATION INLAND...BUT WITH A DEEPER AND STRONGER LOW PRESSURE
AND TROUGH ON FRIDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...VFR AT THE COAST THROUGH MIDNIGHT...THEN EXPECT AREAS
OF IFR CIGS IN LOW CLOUDS TO SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA. VFR INLAND
BUT BREEZY SOUTH WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED AGAIN IN THE KLAMATH BASIN
AND IN THE SHASTA VALLEY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

&&

.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...NONE.

CA...NONE.

PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS FROM 11 AM TO
     8 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR PZZ350-PZZ356-PZZ370-PZZ376.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS FROM 11 AM WEDNESDAY TO
     3 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR PZZ350-PZZ356-PZZ370-PZZ376.

08/99/99

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, South Central Oregon Cascades

When
October 1, 12:00 AM PST to October 15, 12:00 AM PST
Where
South Central Oregon Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
42.801, -122.519 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning from a thunderstorm event on 08/16/08 ignited a round of wildfires across southwest Oregon. The Lonesome Complex fires consisted of the Middle Fork, Lonesome, and Bessie Rock fires. As of 09/01/08, all but the Middle Fork fires were contained. The Middle Fork fire was still burning when the last update was issued on 10/09/08. At that time, the size of the fire was 21175 acres and the was 90% contained. The estimated containment date was 10/15/08. No update on expenditures was available, but as of 09/01/08, 17.7 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.

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

More

Every storm in Oregon in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, October 2008

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: 134324.