Wildfire in California, August 18 to 22, 2013

Name: Wildfire in California, August 18 to 22, 2013
Start: 2013-08-18T00:00
End: 2013-08-22T00:00
Location: California

August 18 to 22, 2013 · NWS HNX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The Tenant wildfire was in the Sequoia NF and the ignition date was 8/18 caused by lightning. The location was near Democrat (Kern County) and the size was 411 acres.

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 HNX wrote it up.

The Tenant wildfire was in the Sequoia NF and the ignition date was 8/18 caused by lightning. The location was near Democrat (Kern County) and the size was 411 acres. Containment was reached on 8/22 and the cost to containment was $950,000.

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 Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 17, 6:30 PM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 6:30 PM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
730 PM PDT SAT AUG 17 2013

.UPDATE...

UPDATED AVIATION SECTION

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL FORM OFF THE CENTRAL COAST FOR AN
INCREASING CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
SIERRA NEVADA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THERE WILL ALSO BE A SLIGHT
RISK OF THUNDERSHOWERS OVER THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY FROM FRESNO
COUNTY NORTH ON MONDAY AS THE DISTURBANCE MOVES INLAND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY NEAR THE SIERRA CREST HAS ENDED AND THE
AVIATION DISCUSSION HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS.

&&

.AVIATION...
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCAL MVFR CEILINGS ARE POSSIBLE
OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERT AFTER 19Z SUNDAY. OTHERWISE...
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
INTERIOR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

&&

.PREV DISC... /ISSUED 307 PM PDT SAT AUG 17 2013/

DISCUSSION...
WEATHER RADARS SHOW A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS DEVELOPING JUST EAST OF
THE SIERRA MAINLY OVER MONO AND NORTH INYO COUNTIES. OTHERWISE
DRY ACROSS THE DISTRICT WITH SOME CLOUD COVER INCREASING OVER THE
CENTRAL VALLEY AND SIERRA. THE CLOUD COVER HAS BEEN INCREASING ON
THE EAST SIDE OF A DEVELOPING UPPER LOW APPROACHING THE CENTRAL
COAST. STORMS SHOULD REMAIN ALONG AND EAST OF THE HIGH SIERRA WITH
A SOUTH TO NORTH STORM MOVEMENT. MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT AND
CLOSE THE LOW OFF THE CENTRAL COAST OVERNIGHT AN MAINTAIN THE LOW
NEAR STATIONARY THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY. MODELS PROG A SSE WIND
FLOW ADVECTING DEEPER MOISTURE NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
WITH INCREASED INSTABILITY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH DESERT FOR
A GREATER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY
AFTERNOON. IN THIS TYPE OF FLOW THE DEBRIS CLOUDS FROM THE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY MOVE INTO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT
FOOTHILLS BY EARLY SUNDAY EVENING SO THERE COULD BE SOME SPRINKLES
IN THESE AREAS AS WELL AS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM
DRIFTING OFF THE SIERRA INTO THE FOOTHILLS. THE BEST THREAT OF
NIGH TIME CONVECTION WILL BE TOWARDS THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS AS THE
UPPER LOW REMAINS JUST OFF THE COASTAL WATERS. HOWEVER NIGHT TIME
THUNDER WILL BE DIFFICULT TO RULE OUT OVER THE DIABLO MOUNTAINS
AND PARTS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. THE UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO
BEGIN LIFTING NORTHEAST WEDNESDAY...BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL
LATE THURSDAY BEFORE IT MOVES OUT OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THERE
COULD STILL BE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MAINLY
NORTH OF FRESNO COUNTY WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE MOISTURE IS PUSHED OUT
OF THE AREA.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE.

&&

.CERTAINTY...

THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 1 AND 2 IS MEDIUM.
THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7 IS MEDIUM.

THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS PART OF A TRIAL PROJECT CONDUCTED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD.
CERTAINTY LEVELS INCLUDE LOW...MEDIUM...AND HIGH. PLEASE VISIT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HNX/CERTAINTY.PHP /ALL LOWER CASE/ FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND/OR TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.

&&

.CLIMATE...
             RECORDS
SITE DATE    HI_MAX:YEAR LO_MAX:YEAR HI_MIN:YEAR LO_MIN:YEAR

KFAT 08-17      111:1892     77:1976     77:1933     53:1968
KFAT 08-18      112:1892     77:1975     75:2012     52:1916
KFAT 08-19      108:1892     67:1976     74:2012     54:1916

KBFL 08-17      107:1992     80:1918     79:1967     50:1915
KBFL 08-18      110:1942     82:1916     80:2012     50:1905
KBFL 08-19      109:1950     78:1959     79:1961     52:1913
&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

PUBLIC...JEB
AVN/FW...DURFEE
PREV DISCUSSION...MV
SYNOPSIS...PJ

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 17, 4:45 AM PST, 19 hours 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
545 AM PDT SAT AUG 17 2013

CAZ089>094-181215-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
545 AM PDT SAT AUG 17 2013

...POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY EVENING AND MONDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE SEE THE LATEST /SFOSPSHNX/.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR
UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

CAZ096-097-181215-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
545 AM PDT SAT AUG 17 2013

...POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF
THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE SIERRA CREST. FOR FURTHER DETAILS
PLEASE SEE THE LATEST /SFOSPSHNX/.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING MORE LIKELY SUNDAY AND MONDAY DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE SEE THE LATEST
/SFOSPSHNX/.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR
UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

CAZ095-098-099-181215-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
545 AM PDT SAT AUG 17 2013

...POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS
AND DESERTS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FOR
FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE SEE THE LATEST /SFOSPSHNX/.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR
UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

DCH

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Kern Cty Mtns

When: August 18, 12:00 AM PST to August 22, 12:00 AM PST
Where: Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

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 California in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in California, August 2013

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: 510090.