Wildfire in California, August 29 to 31, 2017

Name: Wildfire in California, August 29 to 31, 2017
Start: 2017-08-29T01:30
End: 2017-08-31T23:59
Location: California

August 29 to 31, 2017 · NWS HNX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 5
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 human caused Pier Fire began in the early morning hours of August 29, 2017 when a stolen car was set on fire and pushed off a cliff along Highway 190, 7 miles east of Springville, CA. The fire burned 36,556 acres before being contained on September 24, 2017. There were mandatory evacuations for the small communities of Camp Nelson, Pierpoint Springs, Cedar Slope, Sequoia Crest, Rogers Camp, Doyle Springs, Mountain Aire and Wishon for several weeks. Much of Highway 190 between Springville and Ponderosa was closed to traffic. There were 2 structures lost. Cost of containment was $38.76 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 Aug 28, 4:06 PM PST, 9 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 28, 4:06 PM PST, 9 hours 24 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA
506 PM PDT Mon Aug 28 2017

.UPDATE...
Updated Air Quality Issues Section.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
A strong ridge of high pressure centered over the Great Basin
will bring near record heat to much of the central California
interior through Tuesday. Temperatures will remain above normal
through the Labor Day holiday weekend. Dry conditions will
prevail except for some isolated afternoon thunderstorms possible
near the Sierra crest Tuesday and Wednesday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
An upward trend in temperatures continues across our area today,
with 24 hr trends generally running up around 2-5 degrees. The
strengthening ridge of high pressure responsible for our current
hot spell remains centered near the Great Basin area. Mid level
moisture circulating anticyclonically around the periphery of the
ridge is again generating a field of cu over the mountains, as
well as some into the Kern County desert. Radar is indicating a
few light showers popping over the Sierra in Tulare County as well
as a few just east of the Kern County desert. This activity should
dissipate with the end of daytime heating.

The upper ridge is handled similarly by models, remaining in place
and providing another day of temperatures 10-15 degrees above
climo for our area Tuesday. Additional moisture is progged to
rotate around the ridge, bringing some isolated thunderstorms over
the Sierra Tuesday afternoon.

Shortwave energy tracking toward the Pacific Northwest is shown to
cause the ridge to weaken and flatten a bit by Wednesday. This
should bring a slight decrease in temperatures across the area
Wednesday, especially around Merced County, where some cooler
marine air may filter in. No significant relief is expected
Wednesday in the desert. The Excessive Heat Warning continues
through Tuesday, except for the desert zones where it continues
through Wednesday. Expect more thunderstorms near the Sierra crest
Wednesday.

A drier southwesterly flow Thursday as the shortwave trough moves
over the ridge will bring an end to the mountain thunderstorms,
while temperatures continue to run slightly lower. As the trough
lifts out, the ridge will build back into the region and
temperatures will warm again for the end of the week. Highs are
expected to run a bit below our current near record highs, but
still several degrees above climo through the labor Day holiday
weekend.

&&

.AVIATION...Areas of smoke are possible Near Yosemite National Park
in association with the South Fork Wildfire. Otherwise VFR
conditions can be expected over the central CA interior during
the next 24 hours.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
Please see SFOAQAHNX for an Air Quality Alert.

On Tuesday August 29 2017... Unhealthy in Fresno... Kern and Madera
Counties. Unhealthy for sensitive groups in Kings... Merced and
Tulare Counties.
Further information is available at Valleyair.org

&&

.CERTAINTY...

The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is high.
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...
Excessive Heat Warning until 9 PM PDT Tuesday BELOW 5000 FEET
FOR THE CAZ095.

Excessive Heat Warning until 9 PM PDT Tuesday CAZ089>094.

Excessive Heat Warning until 9 PM PDT Wednesday CAZ098-099.

&&

public...JEB
avn/fw...DS
synopsis...JEB

weather.gov/hanford

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Tulare Cty Mtns

When: August 29, 1:30 AM PST to August 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
Injuries: 5 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

The human caused Pier Fire began in the early morning hours of August 29, 2017 when a stolen car was set on fire and pushed off a cliff along Highway 190, 7 miles east of Springville, CA. The fire burned 36,556 acres before being contained on September 24, 2017. There were mandatory evacuations for many small communities for several weeks and Highway 190 between Springville and Ponderosa was closed to traffic. There were 2 structures lost.

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

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: 718315.