The Cleveland Ridge Wildfire started at around 1600 PDT on 08/22/16. It was caused by human activity.
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.
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 MFR wrote it up.
The Cleveland Ridge Wildfire started at around 1600 PDT on 08/22/16. It was caused by human activity. As of 30/0430 PST, the fire covered 530 acres and was 100% contained. 2.8 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
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 Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 22, 1:44 PM PST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Medford OR
244 PM PDT MON AUG 22 2016
.DISCUSSION...Skies are clear over most of the area. There is a mid
level cu deck that is moving into Norther Cal with instability
clouds popping up in Lassen County. Dry conditions will be the rule
through this evening, but there is a slight chance that an isolated
thunderstorm or two could pop up in southeast Modoc County late this
afternoon and evening. Otherwise the main concern through this
evening will be gusty west to northwest winds east of the Cascades
and this along with low relative humidity could result in red flag
conditions. Details on this can be found at PDXRFWMFR and/or the
fire weather discussion below.
The models have not changed much in the short term. So the theme of
continued dry and warm weather will continue through at least the
end of the week, possibly into next weekend. The upper ridge will
set up over the eastern Pacific and is expected to remain there
through the end of the week while a weak upper trough with a weak
north flow remains over our area. Temperatures will warm up by a
couple of degrees Tuesday with further warming Wednesday through
Friday. Max temps are expected to peak Thursday as the thermal
trough shifts inland over the west side valleys with slight cooling,
but still above normal temperatures Friday.
Speaking of the thermal trough, it will develop on Tuesday, then
expand north Wednesday and Thursday and keep the marine stratus well
offshore. In fact skies could end up clear over the marine waters.
In addition the offshore flow could result in a Chetco effect on
Thursday and max temperatures have a chance to get into the 80s.
However, there will be a flow reversal in the afternoon. So
depending on when this happens could determine how hot or not it
will get at Brookings. Current guidance shows a high of 82 there.
For now were going with a high of 78, but this could change.
The models vary in the details this weekend, but they do show to
some degree that an upper trough will move south towards the Pac
Northwest. The models differ with how far south this trough will
dip, but all show temperatures near normal with little or no chance
of precipitation. -Petrucelli
&&
.AVIATION...22/18Z TAF cycle...Areas of IFR ceilings and fog are
confined to the immediate coast from Gold Beach southward. The
stratus may move away from the coast Briefly later this afternoon,
otherwise IFR cogs will continue. Other than some high clouds,
expect VFR elsewhere for the next 24 hours. Wind gusts near 30kt
are likely at KOTH this afternoon. Spilde/Sven
&&
.MARINE...Updated 230 PM PDT, Monday 22 August 2016...High
pressure offshore and a thermal trough along the coast will
continue to bring northerly winds today through midweek. Conditions
(winds and seas) will be hazardous to small craft across a large
portion of the waters. The exception will be within a few NM of
shore and south of Brookings, where winds and seas will be a bit
weaker through this evening. The strongest winds will be from about
3 to 40 NM offshore from around Cape Blanco to Gold Beach with gale
force gusts possible this afternoon and evening. Similar winds and
seas are expected Tuesday...with winds decreasing slightly on
Wednesday. Small craft advisory conditions will continue through
Thursday in the outer waters beyond 10 nm from shore and steep seas
may linger over portions of the inner waters on Thursday. Winds and
seas finally lower Friday into the weekend. -CC
&&
Updated 230 PM PDT, Monday 22 August 2016...A dry
cold front will shift across the area this afternoon, with winds
picking up again this afternoon on the east side. The air mass
remains very dry with a corresponding lowering of dew points, so
in spite of the cooler temperatures relative humidities will
remain low, down near 10 percent (even some single digits still
possible) east of the Cascades. For these reasons, we have a red
flag warning in effect due to the combination of strong west-
northwest winds and low humidity. The fire weather watch for fire
zone 285 (Modoc) for Tuesday afternoon and evening with humidity
remaining down around or just below 10 percent and expected wind
gusts near 20 mph has been upgraded to a warning.
Offshore east to northeast flow will take hold over the area
Tuesday night through Thursday night as the thermal trough
strengthens. This means another period of nighttime poor to moderate
humidity recovery over the mid slopes and ridges. The strongest
offshore flow night looks like Wednesday night, but could be some
lingering offshore component Thursday night as well. We'll have
to evaluate for potential headlines due to the east winds and poor
recovery.
With the thermal trough overhead on Friday, this will be the warmest
day inland, with cooling starting at the coast. models are coming
into better agreement with another upper level trough moving in on
the weekend, but confidence on whether that will be Saturday or
Sunday is low. No precipitation is expected at this time for the
weekend. Sven
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM PDT this evening for ORZ624-625.
CA...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM PDT this evening for CAZ285.
Red Flag Warning from 2 PM to 8 PM PDT Tuesday for CAZ285.
Pacific Coastal Waters...Small Craft Advisory until 11 PM PDT Tuesday for PZZ350-370.
Small Craft Advisory for hazardous seas from 11 PM Tuesday to 11
PM PDT Wednesday for PZZ350-356.
Small Craft Advisory until 11 PM PDT Wednesday for PZZ356.
Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Friday for PZZ376.
Small Craft Advisory for hazardous seas from 11 PM Tuesday to 5
AM PDT Friday for PZZ370.
MAP/MAP/MAPThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Cleveland Ridge Wildfire started at around 1600 PDT on 08/22/16. It was caused by human activity. As of 30/0430 PST, the fire covered 530 acres and was 100% contained. 2.8 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, 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: 645315.