Wildfire, Central Oregon
- When
- July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 4, 7:33 AM PST
- Where
- Central Oregon forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 44.229, -120.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Inciweb.
Wildfire in Oregon, July 1 to 4, 2018
The lightning-caused Graham Fire was reported early in the afternoon on Thursday, June 21, 2018, burning four miles south of the Metolius River arm of Lake Billy Chinook, near Culver, in Jefferson county Oregon. The fire burned primarily on private land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Lake Chinook Fire and Rescue.
Where it happened
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
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 PDT wrote it up.
The lightning-caused Graham Fire was reported early in the afternoon on Thursday, June 21, 2018, burning four miles south of the Metolius River arm of Lake Billy Chinook, near Culver, in Jefferson county Oregon. The fire burned primarily on private land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Lake Chinook Fire and Rescue. Numerous homes were threatened in the Three Rivers Subdivision and evacuations were issued.
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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 30, 9:20 PM PST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 9:20 PM PST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pendleton OR 1020 PM PDT Sat Jun 30 2018 Updated aviation discussion .SHORT TERM...Tonight and Sunday...A weak cold front passing over the region tonight will keep us in a breezy westerly flow through Sunday. There will be a few isolated showers this evening over northeast Oregon and southeast Washington from the passing cold front which was added as part of the evening update. Winds of 15 to 25 mph across the lower elevations of the forecast area will continue with a slight decrease overnight before again jumping up to 15 to 25 mph on Sunday with gusts into the 30s. .AVIATION...06Z TAFs...VFR conditions will prevail for the next 24 hours under mostly clear skies. Winds will decrease to 5-15 KTS, with another round of breezy/windy conditions Sunday afternoon of 12- 25 KTS and higher gusts. . && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 222 PM PDT Sat Jun 30 2018/ SHORT TERM...Tonight through Tuesday. Cold front is approaching the forecast area from the north northwest this afternoon. Clouds are increasing across Washington with Oregon still mainly clear. The front will move through the region this evening and overnight. Scattered showers over the Cascades and possibly the Blues as moisture is limited. Otherwise expect partly to mostly cloudy skies. Westerly winds will increase later today and continue through the night with locally breezy conditions. Some lingering clouds Sunday morning over the Cascades and northeast Oregon mountains otherwise expect a mostly sunny and breezy day with highs in the 70s to lower 80s. An upper level trough will push another stronger cold front through the area late Sunday night into Monday. This front looks to be fairly dry as well with just a few showers over the Cascades. Otherwise partly cloudy and breezy with cooler temperatures. Highs mainly in the 70s. The upper trough will move east of the region Monday night with the flow aloft becoming westerly Tuesday. Should be a partly to mostly sunny day with lighter winds and highs in the 70s. 94 LONG TERM...Tuesday night through Saturday...GFS/ECMWF in general agreement for midweek, with one trough exiting to the east Tuesday night, and the next trough digging offshore WA/OR for Independence Day. With the trough sufficiently offshore, deep layer moisture will remain limited, so expect a dry Independence Day for most areas, with perhaps a shower or two along the immediate east slopes of the Cascades. Seasonably warm conditions can be expected for the holiday with lower elevation highs in the mid/upper 80s. For Thursday through Saturday, the trough will open up and gradually move to the northeast across NW WA and BC. With the deep layer moisture remaining well to the north and west of the area, will keep conditions mainly dry. Temperatures will warm under SW flow aloft, with lower elevations highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s Thursday/Friday with slight cooling Saturday. Above normal low temperatures will prevail. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 57 80 48 73 / 20 0 0 10 ALW 58 82 51 74 / 20 10 0 10 PSC 58 85 50 78 / 10 0 0 0 YKM 52 80 46 74 / 10 0 0 10 HRI 59 85 50 77 / 10 0 0 0 ELN 52 73 47 69 / 10 0 10 10 RDM 50 81 41 73 / 0 0 0 0 LGD 53 77 44 68 / 10 10 0 10 GCD 51 80 46 70 / 10 10 0 0 DLS 58 78 51 73 / 10 0 0 10 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. && 91/91/91
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Heat in Nevada, July 1 to 5, 2018
- Heat in Vermont, July 1 to 6, 2018
- Heat in Arizona, July 1 to 4, 2018
- Excessive Heat in Pennsylvania, July 1 to 5, 2018
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, July 1 to 28, 2018
- Wildfire in Utah, July 1 to 31, 2018
- Rip Current in California, July 1, 2018
- Flooding in Minnesota, July 1 to 22, 2018
- Damaging Wind in Texas, July 1, 2018
- Damaging Winds in Michigan, July 1, 2018
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, July 1 to 3, 2018
- Excessive Heat in Missouri, July 1, 2018
More
Every storm in Oregon in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, July 2018
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: 763850.