This fire was a holdover from lightning earlier in the week, and wasn’t discovered sooner due to heavy smoke across Central Oregon.
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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 PDT wrote it up.
This fire was a holdover from lightning earlier in the week, and wasn’t discovered sooner due to heavy smoke across Central Oregon.
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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 9, 9:20 AM PST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pendleton OR 1020 AM PDT Sat Sep 9 2017 Updated Aviation Discussion .UPDATE...A Pacific weather system continues to move across the region today. There have been afternoon and evening isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms during the past couple of days mainly south and east. Today there will be some more afternoon and evening thunderstorms, but mainly just over Wallowa County as the weather systems pulls away. The mixing caused by this weather system has allowed some of the smoke to clear out of the Lower Columbia Basin and adjacent valley overnight...resulting in more intense sunshine. However, today behind the weather system the air mass is cooler so only expecting temperatures in the lower to mid 80s in the lower elevations and mostly 70s in the mountains. Will update forecast to adjust POPs and weather...with lessening the thunderstorm coverage and threat for this afternoon and evening. 88 && .AVIATION...18Z TAFS...Mainly VFR conditions will prevail over the region over the next 24 hours. Winds will be increasing as a weak frontal system moves through the area with speeds of 10 to 15kts with higher gusts possible. Some isolated to scattered thunderstorms remain possible over the Blue Mountains and Wallowa Counties this afternoon and evening. Smoke and haze will continue to be an issue, though mixing due to the winds will limit the impacts. Will continue to indicate some affects especially at sites near active wildfires (KRDM, KBDN and KDLS). 93 && FIRE WEATHER...Some mild fire weather concerns are expected today but should not reach critical levels. Locally breezy conditions will prevail through this evening across the Columbia Gorge into the Columbia Basin, but RHs will remain above critical levels. Isolated thunderstorms are possible mainly in just Wallowa County this afternoon. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 445 AM PDT Sat Sep 9 2017/ SHORT TERM...Today through Monday...A ridge of high pressure that had been over the pacific northwest has moved to the Rockies as a trough approaches the west coast. The trough is elongated as a closed low at the base of the trough is centered over San Francisco. This low continues to send moisture northward into our area in a southerly flow. As the trough moves ashore the moisture will be drifting eastward and will primarily impact the eastern fringes of the area and Wallowa county. Moisture will be further reduced as the closed low sinks further south and gets cut off from the trough. Do not expect any showers or thunderstorms this morning and just isolated thunderstorms over the higher terrain of the eastern Oregon mountains from Seneca and John Day northeastward into Wallowa county. By the late afternoon and evening any thunderstorms remaining will be confined to the Wallowa mountains and the Hells Canyon area. In addition, as the trough moves into the area, there will be a slight chance of showers along the Washington Cascade Crest this afternoon and tonight. It will also tighten pressure gradients and winds will pick up to 10 to 20 mph this afternoon and early evening before decreasing overnight. Do not believe winds will be strong enough to mix out the persistent smoke so will keep the Air Quality Advisory going. The trough which is broad and shallow will remain centered well to the north and gradually move east tonight and Sunday. While the closed low will remain off of southern California through Monday, ridging will build over the western states through Monday. Fair and dry weather with light winds will be over the area Sunday through Monday. Temperatures today and Sunday will be in the mid 70s and mid 80s and will rise to the upper 70s to mid 80s on Monday. LONG TERM...Monday night through Friday...The resurgent upper level ridge over the Pacific Northwest Monday should begin to be suppressed by an approaching Gulf of Alaska trough Monday night. This would cause a southwest upper level flow to develop over the region Monday night into Tuesday. This flow would allow some moisture to work into the region by Tuesday morning. Heating during the day Tuesday, plus energy associated with the approaching trough, would then cause the development of some showers and thunderstorms within the moisture field. These showers and storms are mainly expected to occur from central Oregon east to Grant county, and northeast to the Blue mountains, Grande Ronde valley and Wallowa county. The upper trough looks to then push a cool front through the region Tuesday night and Wednesday. A few showers and/or thunderstorms may linger over our eastern zones Tuesday night through Wednesday night. Confidence on timing remains low, and the showers/storms may be out of the area as early as Wednesday afternoon. Will continue with a slower forecast timing, though will push the western edge of showers/storms east a bit. Temps should be cooler mid and late week next week. Also should see some breezier winds behind the front, which could help clear out some of the smoke and haze that has been over the region. 90 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 81 56 80 53 / 10 10 0 0 ALW 83 60 81 58 / 10 10 0 0 PSC 84 55 81 50 / 0 10 0 0 YKM 81 54 81 52 / 10 10 0 0 HRI 83 57 82 50 / 0 10 0 0 ELN 78 54 80 48 / 10 10 0 0 RDM 81 46 82 46 / 0 0 0 0 LGD 81 48 79 47 / 10 10 0 0 GCD 83 52 81 52 / 10 10 0 0 DLS 81 60 84 56 / 10 10 0 0 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. && 88/93/93
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Inciweb.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, September 2017
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: 718284.