Two wildfires developed in southern Jackson county on 09/21/09. The first was the Siskiyou fire, which developed south of Ashland in the morning.
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 MFR wrote it up.
Two wildfires developed in southern Jackson county on 09/21/09. The first was the Siskiyou fire, which developed south of Ashland in the morning. In the afternoon, the Deer Ridge fire started on the east edge of Medford. Both fires were human caused and both spread quickly due to Red Flag Warning conditions. 500 homes, businesses, and other structures were threatened at some point. The Siskiyou fire burned 190 acres, one vacant house, several outbuildings and a pickup. It was contained later in the week. The Deer Ridge fire burned 633 acres with no structures lost. Total fire fighting costs were estimated at 2.3 million dollars.
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 21, 7:53 AM PST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 853 AM PDT MON SEP 21 2009 .DISCUSSION...OUR REGION IS PRESENTLY DOMINATED BY A STRONG THERMAL TROUGH WHOSE AXIS IS WELL OFF SHORE AND A VERY STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. THIS PATTERN BRINGS CLEAR AND HOT CONDITIONS WITH VERY DRY EAST WINDS JUST ABOVE THE VALLEYS. HIGH TEMPERATURES THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE NEAR RECORD AND ABOUT 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. TONIGHT THE THERMAL TROUGH WEAKENS AND SHIFTS INLAND TUESDAY MAKING FOR THE HOTTEST DAY EXCEPTING THE COAST THIS WEEK. WEDNESDAY WILL BE ONLY A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN TUESDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE SHIFTS FAR INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION. THURSDAY MORNING A WEAK COLD FRONT ARRIVES AT THE COAST PUSHING INLAND DURING THE DAY AND COOLING TEMPS ABOUT 10 DEGREES. FRIDAY WEAK OFF SHORE FLOW DEVELOPS AND THE UPPER RIDGE REBOUNDS A BIT WARMING TEMPS A FEW DEGREES. LITTLE CHANGE IN THE WARM DRY AND CLEAR PATTERN THEN THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS THE FLATTENED UPPER RIDGE SHIFTS EAST. && .AVIATION...CLEAR SKIES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS UNDER STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT AND LOW LEVEL OFF SHORE FLOW ACROSS THE REGION. && .MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 AM PDT TUESDAY FOR ORZ617-ORZ620-ORZ621-ORZ622-ORZ623. CA...NONE. PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...NONE. 11
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 630 AM PDT MON SEP 21 2009 ORZ617-620>623-221300- UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST- WESTERN ROGUE BASIN INCLUDING THE ILLINOIS VALLEY- SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS-EASTERN ROGUE VALLEY-SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES- 630 AM PDT MON SEP 21 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF OR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDNIGHT...SEE FIRE WEATHER PRODUCT FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 11AM TUESDAY...SEE FIRE WEATHER PRODUCT FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. CAZ280-221300- WESTERN KLAMATH NATIONAL FOREST- 630 AM PDT MON SEP 21 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...SEE FIRE WEATHER PRODUCT FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 11AM TUESDAY...SEE FIRE WEATHER PRODUCT FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Two wildfires developed in southern Jackson county on 09/21/09. The first was the Siskiyou fire, which developed south of Ashland in the morning. In the afternoon, the Deer Ridge fire started on the east edge of Medford.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, September 2009
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: 192203.