Wildfire in Nebraska, September 1 to 4, 2012

Name: Wildfire in Nebraska, September 1 to 4, 2012
Start: 2012-09-01T00:00
End: 2012-09-04T23:59
Location: Nebraska

September 1 to 4, 2012 · NWS LBF · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Lightning produced by high based thunderstorms ignited the Wellnitz Fire on August 29th. The fire burned over 77,159 acres of land, which included 44,159 acres in Nebraska.

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: 3
Property damage: $6.0 million
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 LBF wrote it up.

Lightning produced by high based thunderstorms ignited the Wellnitz Fire on August 29th. The fire burned over 77,159 acres of land, which included 44,159 acres in Nebraska. The fire started 10 miles north of Hay Springs, then spread into South Dakota onto the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The fire burned timber and grass, along with destroying up to 60 outbuildings, two homes, two commercial properties, and 100 power poles across Sheridan County. An additional 10 homes were damaged. The wildfire continued into September and was reported 100 percent contained on September 4th. The Nebraska National Guard was deployed (14 personnel) to help fight the fire, which included the use of two type three helicopters and one Blackhawk helicopter. Many roads in the area were closed as the fire burned. Cooperating agencies across Nebraska deployed 350 personnel, while 45 volunteer fire departments from across Nebraska and South Dakota responded to the fire-fighting efforts. Three non life-threatening injuries were reported from the fire and 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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 10:45 PM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 10:45 PM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1245 AM CDT SAT SEP 1 2012

.AVIATION...

VFR IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE NRN PLAINS PRODUCING STRONG
SOUTH WINDS. NO THUNDERSTORMS ARE FCST.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 913 PM CDT FRI AUG 31 2012/

UPDATE...

DISCUSSION...
RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND WINDS HAVE FALLEN WELL BELOW CRITICAL LEVELS
ACROSS ALL AREAS EXCEPT THE EASTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. THE RED
FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED ACROSS ALL BUT THE EASTERN
PANHANDLE.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 332 PM CDT FRI AUG 31 2012/

SYNOPSIS...
H5 PATTERN THIS MORNING HAS THE REMNANTS OF ISAAC CENTERED OVER FT
SMITH AR. RIDGING WAS PRESENT NORTH OF THIS FEATURE AND EXTENDED
INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. HIGH PRESSURE
WAS CENTERED OVER VIRGINIA AND THE CAROLINAS...WITH A TROUGH OF LOW
PRESSURE OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. AT THE SURFACE...HIGH PRESSURE
WILL MOVING EAST INTO MN FROM THE EASTERN DAKOTAS. SRLY WINDS HAVE
BEGUN TO INCREASE ACROSS THE WEST OVER THE PAST HOUR...WITH WINDS
GUSTING 20 TO 25 MPH IN THE PANHANDLE. TEMPERATURES AS OF 3 PM
CDT...RANGED FROM 88 AT ONEILL TO 98 AT OGALLALA.

DISCUSSION...

SHORT RANGE...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...TEMPERATURES AND FIRE
CONCERNS HIGHLIGHT THE NEAR TERM OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. FOR
TONIGHT...ONGOING RED FLAG WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE WESTERN CWA FOR
TODAY THROUGH 11 PM CDT. WILL EVALUATE THE NEED FOR A RED FLAG
WARNING IN THE CENTRAL ZONES THROUGH ISSUANCE TIME. BASED ON THE
LATEST RH AND WIND TRENDS...MAY NEED TO CANCEL THE WARNING IN THESE
AREAS. FURTHER WEST...ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN PANHANDLE...LARGE
ONGOING FIRES AND THE PRESENCE OF A LOW LEVEL JET OVERNIGHT...MAY
FACILITATE EXTENDING THE WARNING FOR PORTIONS OF ZONE 204...IN
PARTICULAR...SHERIDAN COUNTY. INCREASED MOISTURE IN THE EAST AND
NORTH CENTRAL...ALONG WITH DECENT MIXING IN THE WEST...WILL KEEP
LOWS ELEVATED TONIGHT...WITH READINGS IN THE MID AND UPPER 60S
EXPECTED. ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST...DRIER AIR AND CALMER WINDS ARE
EXPECTED...WHICH WILL LEAD TO LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S.

ON SATURDAY...ANOTHER ROUND OF CRITICAL TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE DANGER
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WEST AND SOUTH. A SURFACE TROUGH OF
LOW PRESSURE WILL DEEPEN ACROSS EASTERN WYOMING SATURDAY. THIS WILL
LEAD TO INCREASING SRLY WINDS ACROSS ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA...WITH GUST POTENTIAL TO 30 MPH SAT AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION
TO WINDS...VERY DRY AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS
WESTERN NEBRASKA AND THE EASTERN PANHANDLE...WHERE RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES WILL BOTTOM OUT AROUND 10 TO 15 PERCENT. FURTHER
EAST...BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE FROM THE REMNANTS OF ISAAC WILL
TRAVEL WEST OF THE SYSTEM INTO EASTERN AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA. WITH
SURFACE DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 40S AND 50S EXPECTED...CRITICAL MIN
RH'S WILL NO BE REACHED. ATTM...THE DIVIDING LINE FOR CRITICAL/NON
CRITICAL FIRE DANGER WILL BE WEST/EAST OF HIGHWAY 83 FROM VALENTINE
TO NORTH PLATTE.

ON SUNDAY...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL TRACK ACROSS WESTERN AND
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. MIN RH'S WILL APPROACH CRITICAL LEVELS SUN
AFTN IN THE CENTRAL AND WEST. HOWEVER...WITH THE TROUGH IN THE
AREA...WINDS WILL BE LIGHT ENOUGH...RESULTING IN EXTREME...BUT NOT
CRITICAL...FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS. AS THE TROUGH PUSHES INTO EASTERN
NEBRASKA SUNDAY EVENING...INCREASED CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL
RESULT THANKS TO DEW POINTS IN THE MID AND UPPER 50S. COOLER
TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER 90S WILL SET IN MONDAY AS RIDGING ALOFT
FLATTENS ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS. THE ZONAL FLOW...WILL ALLOW
SHORTWAVES TO TRACK INTO THE CWA MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WENT
AHEAD AND INCREASED PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN THE CENTRAL AND EAST AS
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURNS.

LONG RANGE...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...ZONAL FLOW WILL DEVELOP
BY MID WEEK...LEADING TO COOLER TEMPS AND INCREASED MOISTURE INTO
THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE INCREASED FLOW OF BL MOISTURE
INTO THE HIGH PLAINS IS PROMISING...AND WILL LEAD TO INCREASED
PRECIP CHANCES TOWARD THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK.

FIRE WEATHER...

DEWPOINTS DROPPED INTO THE UPPER 20S AND 30S ACROSS THE PANHANDLE
AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON...AND WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE
MID AND UPPER 90S...HUMIDITY HAS DROPPED BELOW 15 PERCENT. IN
ADDITION...BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 25 MPH AND HIGHER
WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST. AT 20Z...RED FLAG CONDITIONS WERE
BEING OBSERVED NEAR AND SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM ALLIANCE TO
OGALLALA TO IMPERIAL...WITH THESE CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO BECOME
CRITICAL FURTHER TO THE NORTHEAST BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THESE
CONDITIONS ARE CRITICAL FOR DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER BEHAVIOR AND WILL
REMAIN CRITICAL INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

THE WINDS WILL STAY BREEZY TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OVER
NORTHERN SHERIDAN COUNTY AROUND AND ON THE PINE RIDGE.
ALSO...RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS NOT EXPECTED TO RECOVER AS IT TYPICALLY
WOULD...SO MAY SEE MAXIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY ONLY UP TO 45 PERCENT
IN SOME AREAS. WITH THE ONGOING WILDFIRES OVER NORTHWEST
NEBRASKA...AND CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO BE CRITICAL OR NEAR CRITICAL
THROUGHOUT THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WILL EXPAND THE RED FLAG WARNING
THROUGH TONIGHT FOR ZONE 204...BUT MAINLY OVER NORTHERN SHERIDAN
COUNTY. ALSO...WITH CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO BE CRITICAL AGAIN ON
SATURDAY IN THESE AREAS WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS GUSTING TO 30 MPH AND
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AGAIN DOWN TO 10 TO 15 PERCENT...CONTINUED THE
RED FLAG WARNING THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY.

FOR LOCATIONS TO THE EAST OF THE PANHANDLE ON SATURDAY AND WEST OF A
LINE FROM HAYES CENTER TO AINSWORTH...ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO DROP DOWN TO 15 PERCENT OR BELOW
IN THESE AREAS. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST IN AREAS WEST OF A LINE FROM
OGALLALA TO VALENTINE...WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY UP TO 20 TO 25 MPH. WITH
CONFIDENCE SLIGHTLY LOWER ON THE WIND SPEEDS IN THESE
AREAS...DECIDED TO ISSUE THE WATCH AT THIS FORECAST CYCLE...WHERE
THE NEXT SHIFT CAN DEDUCE WHICH AREAS WILL NEED RED FLAG WARNINGS.

&&

.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM 11 AM CDT
/10 AM MDT/ THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR NEZ206-208-210.

RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 10 PM MDT SATURDAY FOR NEZ204.

&&

SHORT TERM/EXTENDED...BUTTLER
AVIATION...ROBERG

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 7:12 PM MST, 4 hours 48 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
912 PM CDT FRI AUG 31 2012

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-020215-
SHERIDAN-EASTERN CHERRY-KEYA PAHA-BOYD-BROWN-ROCK-HOLT-GARDEN-
GRANT-HOOKER-THOMAS-BLAINE-LOUP-GARFIELD-WHEELER-ARTHUR-MCPHERSON-
LOGAN-CUSTER-DEUEL-KEITH-PERKINS-LINCOLN-CHASE-HAYES-FRONTIER-
WESTERN CHERRY-
912 PM CDT FRI AUG 31 2012 /812 PM MDT FRI AUG 31 2012/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONTINUES OVERNIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN
NEBRASKA AND THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

ON SATURDAY...STRONG SOUTH WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY ARE
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN NEBRASKA. FIRE
DANGER IS EXPECTED BECOME CRITICAL...WITH THE AREAS OF MOST
CONCERN BEING WEST OF HIGHWAY 83.

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY EVENING AND
MONDAY EVENING...AND THEN PERIODICALLY THROUGH NEXT WEEK. AT THIS
TIME...THUNDERSTORMS LOOK TO BE FAIRLY ISOLATED WITH CHANCES FOR
WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORMS BEING LOW. ISOLATED DRY LIGHTNING AND
WILDFIRES ARE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

&&

THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...
HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL INFORMATION...AT
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE

CDC

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, Sheridan

When: September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 4, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Injuries: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $6.0 million
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 42.505, -102.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A wildfire ignited by lightning in late August continued into September to burn approximately 44,159 acres in Nebraska before being contained on September 4th. The wildfire spread north into South Dakota for a total of 77,159 acres burned before containment. Initial assessments showed the wildfire burned approximately 100 power poles. The Rushville Sheriff requested an Evacuate Immediate (NWEM) message as the fire spread into parks and to alert homeowners and campers in the area. The fire stats showed 50 to 60 outbuildings destroyed, and approximately 10 homes damaged as well as two homes and two commercial properties destroyed. The Nebraska National Guard was deployed (14 personnel) to help fight the fire, which included the use of two type three helicopters and one Blackhawk helicopter. Many roads in the area were closed as the fire burned. Cooperating agencies across Nebraska deployed 350 personnel, while 45 volunteer fire departments from across Nebraska and South Dakota responded to the fire-fighting 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

Every storm in Nebraska in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, September 2012

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: 407727.