Name: Wildfire in California, July 17 to 22, 2017
Start: 2017-07-17T13:00
End: 2017-07-22T17:00
Location: California

The toll

Deaths: 1
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 STO wrote it up.

Hot and dry temperatures brought enhanced fire danger.

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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 17, 7:54 AM PST, 5 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 7:54 AM PST, 5 hours 6 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
854 AM PDT Mon Jul 17 2017

.SYNOPSIS...
Hot and dry through the week. Breezy winds possible this evening
into Tuesday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Dry weather and clear skies prevail across the region today as dry
southwest flow continues aloft. *Slightly less hot* weather is
expected today as high pressure over the Desert Southwest shifts
eastward. Temperatures will likely still reach triple digit
territory across much of the Central Valley however, with 70s to
90s expected over the mountains. Delta Breeze should strengthen
more appreciably this evening and tonight.

A series of shortwave troughs will pass through northern
California today, and again Tuesday. Southwest winds will
strengthen with both of these waves, the stronger of which will be
Tuesday. Humidity values remain low however, and Red Flag Warnings
will remain in effect along the midslopes below 5000 feet. Any
fire that does start may spread rapidly.

Dang

&&

.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Friday THROUGH Monday)

Seasonal temperatures will remain through at least Friday as a
trough remains along the west coast. Temperatures will warm-up
some across interior NorCal by the weekend as high pressure
strengthens, but do not look excessive for the time of year.
Monsoon moisture is expected to remain to the south and east of
the region through the weekend.
&&

.AVIATION...

VFR conditions next 24 hours. Increasing southerly winds 10-15 kts
with gusts around 20 kts in the Sacramento Valley (northwesterly
in the northern San Joaquin Valley) by 22Z.
&&

.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Red Flag Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 8 PM PDT Tuesday
for Burney Basin and Northeast Plateau in Shasta County
Including Northwest Lassen NF north of Lassen NP-Northern Sierra
Foothills from 1000 to 3000 Ft. Includes portions of Shasta-
Trinity and Butte Units-Northern Sierra Including Lassen NP and
Plumas and Lassen NF/S West of the Sierra Crest (West of Evans
Peak-Grizzly Peak-Beckworth Peak).

&&

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland

When: July 17, 1:00 PM PST to July 22, 5:00 PM PST
Where: Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Broadcast Media

A rancher was badly burned in the Maria Fire on Monday, July 17th. The fire was in Calaveras County, near Mokelumne Hill. There were 117 acres burned, with numerous structures threatened, but none reported burned. The rancher had third degree burns over 90% of his body, and passed away on July 29th.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Wildfire, Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland	2017-07-29	57	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

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, July 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: 702905.