Wildfire in North Dakota, August 24 to 29, 2012

Name: Wildfire in North Dakota, August 24 to 29, 2012
Start: 2012-08-24T18:00
End: 2012-08-29T12:00
Location: North Dakota

August 24 to 29, 2012 · NWS BIS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Critical fire weather conditions existed across southwest North Dakota on August 24. Several wildfires started and one in Slope County, the Deep Creek 2 Fire, was significant.

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.

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

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $50,000
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 BIS wrote it up.

Critical fire weather conditions existed across southwest North Dakota on August 24. Several wildfires started and one in Slope County, the Deep Creek 2 Fire, was significant.

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 24, 5:21 PM CST, 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 24, 5:21 PM CST, 39 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
621 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

.DISCUSSION...SENT OUT A QUICK UPDATE TO THE TEXT PRODUCTS TO ADD
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA.
THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOPED ARE MOVING INTO AN ENVIRONMENT
CHARACTERIZED BY DEEP LAYER (SFC-6 KM) SHEAR OF AROUND 50 KNOTS
AND MUCAPE AROUND 2000 J/KG. AS A RESULT...FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IS
EXPECTED AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST AHEAD OF A SURFACE
TROUGH THROUGH THE EVENING. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD SUBSIDE AFTER
MIDNIGHT. THE HOURLY SENSIBLE WEATHER GRIDS WERE ALSO UPDATED BASED
ON CURRENT OBS/TRENDS. THE UPDATED GRIDDED AND TEXT PRODUCTS HAVE
BEEN SENT.

&&

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS WESTERN (KISN/KDIK) NORTH
DAKOTA THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. TEMPO IFR CONDITIONS IN
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA
(KMOT/KBIS/KJMS) UNTIL AROUND 06Z. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED FOR CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. GUSTY
WESTERLY WINDS UP TO 20 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY SATURDAY
MORNING.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR NDZ001>003-009>011-017>021-031>034-040>045.

RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR
NDZ001-009-017-018-031>033-040>045.

&&

TM...UPDATE/AVIATION

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 24, 5:07 PM CST, 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
607 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-252315-
DIVIDE-BURKE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-
BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS-
607 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012 /507 PM MDT FRI AUG 24 2012/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NORTH
DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN INTO SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THEY ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE SPOTTER NETWORK HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
CALL 1-800-247-0212 WITH REPORTS OF HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS.

NDZ011>013-019>023-025-034>037-042-045>048-050-051-252315-
WARD-MCHENRY-PIERCE-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-FOSTER-
MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-STUTSMAN-GRANT-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-LA MOURE-
MCINTOSH-DICKEY-
607 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012 /507 PM MDT FRI AUG 24 2012/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT. PLEASE
VISIT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THEY ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SATURDAY...GENERALLY ALONG
AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 83. STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND
DRY FUELS MAY CREATE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE SPOTTER NETWORK HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
CALL 1-800-247-0212 WITH REPORTS OF HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS.

NDZ003>005-252315-
RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-
607 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME
STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN
THREATS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE IN THE EARLY
EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THEY ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE SPOTTER NETWORK HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
CALL 1-800-247-0212 WITH REPORTS OF HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS.

TM

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 24, 5:20 PM CST, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
620 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0553 PM     HAIL             COLEHARBOR              47.54N 101.22W
08/24/2012  E1.25 INCH       MCLEAN             ND   BROADCAST MEDIA

            REPORT RELAYED BY MEDIA.

&&

MMATHEWS

Local storm report, Aug 24, 5:22 PM CST, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
622 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0613 PM     HAIL             SURREY                  48.24N 101.13W
08/24/2012  M1.75 INCH       WARD               ND   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            GOLFBALL AND QUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORT.

&&

JV

Local storm report, Aug 24, 5:23 PM CST, 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
623 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0606 PM     HAIL             SURREY                  48.24N 101.13W
08/24/2012  E1.00 INCH       WARD               ND   BROADCAST MEDIA

            REPORT RELAYED BY MEDIA.

&&

MMATHEWS

Local storm report, Aug 24, 5:27 PM CST, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
627 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0618 PM     HAIL             3 E MINOT               48.23N 101.23W
08/24/2012  E0.88 INCH       WARD               ND   BROADCAST MEDIA

            REPORT RELAYED BY MEDIA.

&&

MMATHEWS

Local storm report, Aug 24, 5:32 PM CST, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
632 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0628 PM     HAIL             5 SSW NEW JOHNS LAKE    47.25N 100.70W
08/24/2012  E1.00 INCH       BURLEIGH           ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            40 TO 50 MPH WINDS ALSO REPORTED.

&&

MMATHEWS

Local storm report, Aug 24, 5:47 PM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
647 PM CDT FRI AUG 24 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0630 PM     TSTM WND GST     5 NNW REGAN             47.22N 100.59W
08/24/2012  E60 MPH          BURLEIGH           ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

MMATHEWS

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, Slope

When: August 24, 6:00 PM CST to August 29, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Slope forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 46.447, -103.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Deep Creek 2 Fire started in Slope County, about nine miles north of Marmarth. It is believed to have been caused by lightning. The fire took a major run to the southeast and a total of 3,317 acres burned. Three ranches were threatened, and in the end, structures on all three were saved. A total of 17 fire departments from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana were on the scene. Federal and state agencies assisted. Two single engine air tankers, or SEATs, and a load of smoke jumpers were brought in from Miles City, Montana, to drop retardant and assist with managing the fire.

There were a few other much less significant fires in southwest North Dakota during this period.

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 North Dakota in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, August 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: 402567.