Name: Wildfire in Idaho, August 4 to 5, 2016
Start: 2016-08-04T17:40
End: 2016-08-05T20:00
Location: Idaho

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 PIH wrote it up.

The Rocky Peak Fire was located about 10-miles north of Preston. It was reported at 6:40 PM on August 4th. It grew to 950 acres and was considered contained on August 5th. Resources on the fire included 5 engines, a dozer, air attack, 11 smoke jumpers, and fuels crew. Franklin County also provided fire support and traffic control. The fire damaged no structures.

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 Pocatello, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 4, 12:55 PM MST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 12:55 PM MST, 4 hours 45 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
155 PM MDT THU AUG 4 2016

.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Saturday.
Clear skies continue overnight although some high clouds will seep
into south as monsoonal moisture begins to advance into southeast
Idaho. For the most part should stay dry Friday morning but the
threat for thunderstorms increases in the afternoon with isolated
storms expected throughout the region by late afternoon. Think
will have a better chance on Saturday and kept the thunderstorms
going as it becomes more unstable. For now think mainly isolated
with best coverage Saturday in the eastern highlands. High
temperatures should be close to seasonal normal and even slightly
above on Saturday. Winds should be light through the period except
near thunderstorm outflow.
GK

.LONG TERM...Sunday through Thursday.  An upper low off the BC coast
will slowly shift southeast into western WA Monday morning and then
east into the ID panhandle by mid-week.  An associated upper level
trough will swing through southwest flow over Idaho on Sunday with a
round of convective showers for Sunday afternoon and evening.  In
addition, winds on Sunday afternoon and evening will be strong and
gusty with gusts approaching 40 mph in portions of the Snake Plain
and ridgetop locations.  For Monday and beyond, convective activity
looks to be closely tied to the upper low in the panhandle and
confined to the northern Central Mountain and Continental Divide
along the MT border.  Temperatures for the period look to be near
normal.  DSH

&&

.AVIATION...Widespread VFR with patchy visibility reduction due to
smoke from wildfires.  DSH

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Clear skies today with light winds. Monsoonal
moisture will begin to move north into southeast Idaho late
tonight. Will keep a fire weather watch in effect for zone 427 for
scattered thunderstorms Friday afternoon. Have isolated
thunderstorms for the remainder of the district so potential for
lightning starts kicks in Friday and continues through the weekend
with at least isolated thunderstorms both Saturday and Sunday too.
Expect an increase in winds Sunday so could have some higher wind
gusts Sunday into Monday as a front moves through.
GK

&&

.PIH Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening
for IDZ427.

&&

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Cache Valley/Idaho Portion

When: August 4, 5:40 PM MST to August 5, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Cache Valley/Idaho Portion forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

The Rocky Peak Fire was located about 10-miles north of Preston. It was reported at 6:40 PM on August 4th. It grew to 950 acres and was considered contained on August 5th. Resources on the fire included 5 engines, a dozer, air attack, 11 smoke jumpers, and fuels crew. Franklin County also provided fire support and traffic control. The fire damaged no structures.

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

More

Every storm in Idaho in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, August 2016

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: 658411.