Name: Wildfire in California, August 1 to 24, 2017
Start: 2017-08-01T00:00
End: 2017-08-24T17:00
Location: California

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 Detwiler Fire began on July 16, 2017, 15 miles northwest of Mariposa, CA. It was human caused. It burned 81,826 acres, resulting in 63 residences, 67 minor structures and 1 commercial structure being destroyed with another 13 residences and 8 minor structures damaged. The fire forced the evacuation of several small rural communities for as long as 10 days and also the entire town of Mariposa (population 18,000) for 3 days. Parts of Highways 41, 49, and 140 were closed at times during the fire. The fire was contained on August 24, 2017. Cost of containment was $90 Million.

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 Jul 31, 4:19 PM PST, 7 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 4:19 PM PST, 7 hours 41 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA
519 PM PDT Mon Jul 31 2017

.UPDATE...Update air quality issues.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Upper level ridge will build in over the region through the week
with above normal temperatures expected. Isolated thunderstorms
possible across the Sierra Nevada through Monday becoming more
widespread into the Kern desert as a surge of subtropical moisture
moves north across the region by midweek.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Upper ridge axis across NRN California will keep us in a SE flow
across the region with continued warm temperatures. this is a
favorable flow for increased sub tropical moisture from Mexico and
the four corners area. A developing low pressure center off the
SOCAL coast will work in conjunction with the ridge to pump up
moisture into the region. the moisture is limited to around 10k-
18k ft agl. Dry sfc conditions will prevail and increase in
clouds will start tomorrow. PWATs rise above one inch across the
Kern desert by tomorrow and continue to rise above 1.5 inches by
late Wednesday and into Thursday.

With increase in cloud cover, our temps may be impacted a bit
downward. 700-500 MB RH values are marginal for partly cloudy
skies. Very challenging forecast with cloud cover and
temperatures. We have trended to persistence and will keep the
valley dry for now. Clouds will possibly be an issue as the two
or three surges come up through the region through Friday. Ridge
starts to flatten out by Saturday as a low off the nrn ca coast
will begin to drift onshore. Moisture Will be shunted off to the
east for next weekend, but aftn convection is still possible
across the Sierra through Monday afternoon with continued above
normal temperatures.

&&

.AVIATION...
A slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms or rain showers will be
possible near the crest of the Sierra Nevada between 21z today and
03z Tuesday. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail across the
Central CA Interior during the next 24 hours.

&&

.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.

Certainty levels include low...medium...and high. Please visit
www.weather.gov/hnx/certainty.php for additional information
an/or to provide feedback.

&&

.HNX Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NONE.
&&

public...JDB
avn/fw...JDB
synopsis...JDB

weather.gov/hanford

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, S Sierra Foothills

When: August 1, 12:00 AM PST to August 24, 5:00 PM PST
Where: S Sierra Foothills forecast zone
Reported by: State Official

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 California in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in California, August 2017

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: 718151.