A 3,106 acre fire began in the Arbon Valley in the Starlight Creek area. The fire began on August 10th and was likely caused by lightning strikes a few days earlier.
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 PIH wrote it up.
A 3,106 acre fire began in the Arbon Valley in the Starlight Creek area. The fire began on August 10th and was likely caused by lightning strikes a few days earlier. The fire was contained and controlled on August 11th.
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 Pocatello, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 10, 2:40 AM MST, 6 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 340 AM MDT WED AUG 10 2016 .SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday. The broad level trough currently over Idaho will move East today. As this trough exits, a weak disturbance will move over our Southern borders late this afternoon into the evening bringing isolated thunderstorms mainly for Southern Cassia county and the Bear Lake region. Look for high pressure ridging to start to build in Thursday bringing Northwest flow across the area. Thursday residual moisture and instability will bring afternoon isolated thunderstorms near the Montana border near Monida pass extending to Island park. On Friday afternoon models are showing a slight chance for these thunderstorms to return. Saturday look for dry and much warmer conditions. Expect below normal temperatures today gradually warming up to near normal by Friday and becoming above normal by Saturday. Wyatt .LONG TERM...Sunday through next Wednesday. Sunday look for Southwesterly flow ahead of a trough moving over Northern Idaho Sunday evening into Monday morning. Expect breezy to moderate winds over the area Sunday afternoon into early evening as well as isolated showers and thunderstorms in the evening over our Northern areas. Monday and Tuesday look for drier conditions in weak zonal flow. Expect a Southwesterly flow by Wednesday with the potential to bring monsoon moisture into the area allowing for afternoon thunderstorms. Temperatures will be above normal through the period, particularly Sunday and Wednesday. Wyatt && .AVIATION...As the persistent upper low over the ID panhandle moves off to the east...VFR conditions will prevail thru tonight. Isold tstms are expected near the UT border this aftn and eve...but they are not expected to impact the TAF sites. Hedges && .FIRE WEATHER...A broad upper trough over the Great Basin will pull some monsoon moisture into the southern highlands this afternoon. This will result in isolated thunderstorms near the Utah border late this afternoon through tonight. Gusty southwest winds are expected this afternoon across the upper Snake River Plain...but below red flag criteria. Isolated thunderstorms are expected over the eastern highlands and the central Idaho mountains Thursday afternoon and evening...as moisture is pulled northward. Upper ridging building over the West by the end of the week will result in dry and warm conditions. By Sunday night...another upper trough moves into the Pac NW and pushes the ridge off to the east. Isolated thunderstorms are possible late Sunday over the central Idaho mountains and the upper Snake highlands. Hedges && .PIH Watches/Warnings/Advisories... None. &&
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A 3,106 acre fire began in the Arbon Valley in the Starlight Creek area. The fire began on August 10th and was likely caused by lightning strikes a few days earlier. The fire was contained and controlled on August 11th. It was on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and no evacuations were required and no property damage occurred.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, August 2016
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: 658408.