Name: Wildfire in Idaho, July 1 to 31, 2016
Start: 2016-07-01T00:01
End: 2016-07-31T01:00
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 116 acre Lane's Creek wildfire actually started on June 30th and was allowed to burn the entire month of July. It was damaging no property and was located on the eastern border of Idaho about 10 miles northwest of Thayne, Wyoming.

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 Jun 30, 1:05 PM MST, 10 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 1:05 PM MST, 10 hours 56 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
205 PM MDT THU JUN 30 2016

.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Saturday. Storms continue today
mainly higher elevations. Have already seen a few storms approach
severe limits for hail but most storms expected to remain below
that with small hail and gusty winds due to high bases and
generally dry character. Isolated convection does look to linger
after sunset and past 06Z but do expect a break by sunrise.
Another round expected Friday afternoon but weaker and less
widespread. Airmass does appear to warm and dry through most
levels of the soundings even though surface dew points remain
similar to today. The expected warming aloft may be enough to shut
down any potential instability and limit convection development.
By Saturday even surface dew points appear to have lessened. Thus
have left drying trend for PoP forecasts alone.

.LONG TERM...Saturday night through Thursday. Ridge axis remains
over SE Idaho but trough strengthening over PacNW states and BC
Canada early in the period. Weak leading shortwave shifts along
the international border Saturday night followed by slightly
stronger shortwave Sunday afternoon. 2nd feature could be enough
to spark isolated convection but of greater concern is the
increased winds through the central mountains and Snake Plain.
These conditions continue with broad trough along coast and ridge
axis to the east. Stronger shortwave shifts through the PacNW
Wednesday. Airmass still dry at that point so any convection
should remain quite isolated through the first half of the week
though winds each afternoon could remain breezy to windy at times.
DMH

&&

.AVIATION...On-going convection will see some intensification this
afternoon, but forecast soundings indicating mid-level warming
during the afternoon hours which may help put a cap on convection.
Mesoscale models such as the HRRR and local WRF taking what
instability there is and producing isolated convection with 20 to 30
kt outflows. There remains uncertainty on if/when convection will
occur and where. Keeping afternoon/early evening VCTS at all sites
and will continue to monitor convective trends. Hinsberger

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Dry thunderstorms remains a concern for the
afternoon/evening hours. WV imagery suggests drier air moving into
the area from the west, however additional clearing throughout the
day may be more supportive of more vigorous, though isolated,
convection. Outflows from the stronger storms could reach 30 to 40
mph as indicated by HRRR and local WRF simulations. There is some
degree of uncertainty as to where the development will occur. Drier
conditions will begin tomorrow as continued westerly flow aloft
ushers in dry mid-level air. Any thunderstorm development will be
brief and have very isolated coverage.

Looking ahead to the weekend and beyond, winds on Saturday will
begin to increase through the day to around 15 to 20 mph and minimum
humidities right around 15 percent in the Snake Plain and adjacent
valleys. Warm and dry conditions are expected to persist until an
upper disturbance approaches the area from the west on Thursday.
Hinsberger

&&

.PIH Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
None.
&&

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Big and Little Wood River Region

When: July 1, 12:01 AM MST to July 31, 1:00 AM MST
Where: Big and Little Wood River Region forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

The 116 acre Lane's Creek wildfire actually started on June 30th and was allowed to burn the entire month of July. It was damaging no property and was located on the eastern border of Idaho about 10 miles northwest of Thayne, Wyoming. An Emergency Closure Order was in effect, closing the Lau Creek Trail from the Pine Bar Campground to the confluence of Brush Creek.

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, July 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: 653762.