Wildfire, Central Oregon
- When
- June 21, 12:30 PM PST to June 30, 11:59 PM 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, June 21 to 30, 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 21, 9:55 AM PST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 9:55 AM PST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated National Weather Service Pendleton OR 1055 AM PDT Thu Jun 21 2018 Updated AVIATION discussion .UPDATE...The latest radar was showing an area of showers along and near the foothills of the Blue Mountains that was slowly lessening in coverage. Isolated TSRA were embedded in the showers that extended SW into Grant County and this area was drifting east. The showers were in response to an upper level disturbance that will track east with decreasing pops from west to east today. The best chances for pcpn will remain over the Blue/Wallowa Mountains this afternoon. Other than minor changes to wx and pops and temps that are forecast to climb into the 80s with 70s in the mountains...the present short term forecast appears more on track now. && .AVIATION...18Z TAFs...VFR for the next 24 hours at all TAF sites. Isolated thunderstorms possible this afternoon in the Blue Mountains and Wallowa County. Otherwise, drier mid levels and a more stable airmass will move into SE Washington and central/north central Oregon this afternoon thus killing any potential for thunderstorms at TAF sites. Mainly SCT-BKN150-200 today, then clearing skies by 06Z. Sustained winds increasing to 10-15kt this afternoon with gusts to 20-25kt at KDLS, KYKM and KPSC. Decreasing pressure gradients after 05Z resulting in drainage winds less than 10kt overnight. Polan && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /issued 211 AM PDT Thu Jun 21 2018/ SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday...The upper trough will move east over eastern WA and OR today. Showers and thunderstorms will persist today in the unstable air ahead of the trough. Scattered thunderstorms are occurring over central and north central OR this morning. These storms will shift east this morning with the trough. The heaviest showers will be over the central OR mountains northeastward to the Blue Mountains. The trough moves east into ID by evening and expect activity should decrease quickly. Thursday night and Friday morning a transitory upper level ridge will develop over WA and OR with fair and dry conditions over eastern WA and OR. Friday afternoon a short wave will move through WA.This disturbance may trigger some showers in the central WA Cascades with a few showers in the extreme northwest corner of the CWA but the rest of the area will remain dry with CU developing in the afternoon over higher terrain. Breezy to windy conditions will develop behind the trough in the Columbia Basin, Columbia River Gorge, and Kittitas Valley as stronger winds aloft mix to the surface today. These winds will decrease overnight then redevelop Friday/Friday evening. Above normal temperatures today will cool slightly Friday and Saturday. Coonfield LONG TERM...Saturday night through Thursday...An upper ridge will build over the region from the west with the ridge axis moving on shore late Saturday night into Sunday. This will bring dry and fair weather to the region until Sunday evening. Then an upper trough will move into the region Sunday night, but with very little moisture. It will bring mainly just some mid and high clouds and increasing winds, along with some cooler temperatures for Monday and Tuesday due to cloud cover and mixing. Sunday will be very warm to hot with highs around 90 in the lower elevations...cooling to the 80s for Monday and Tuesday in the lower elevations. The upper trough will linger over the region and it will be a rather broad trough with dry air within in it. A zonal westerly flow will then develop on Wednesday with slightly warmer temperatures and less wind. The long range models are hinting at possible showers over the mountains on Thursday, but due to model inconsistencies will leave it dry for now with near normal temperatures for Thursday. 88 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 87 58 84 54 / 40 10 0 0 ALW 89 59 86 56 / 40 10 0 0 PSC 89 60 88 57 / 30 10 0 0 YKM 89 57 83 53 / 10 0 0 0 HRI 89 61 87 57 / 30 10 0 0 ELN 85 56 78 54 / 10 0 0 0 RDM 84 48 82 44 / 30 0 0 0 LGD 77 51 80 49 / 60 10 0 0 GCD 78 52 81 48 / 50 10 0 0 DLS 86 61 80 59 / 10 0 0 0 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. && 97/99/76/88
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
- Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 21 to 23, 2018
- Excessive Heat in Nevada, June 21 to 23, 2018
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, June 21 to 24, 2018
- Heat in California, June 21 to 22, 2018
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Ohio, June 21 to 22, 2018
- Damaging Winds in Mississippi, June 21, 2018
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Florida, June 21, 2018
- Damaging Winds in Tennessee, June 21, 2018
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, June 21 to 22, 2018
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, June 21, 2018
- Damaging Winds in Kentucky, June 21, 2018
- Flooding in South Dakota, June 21 to 30, 2018
More
Every storm in Oregon in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, June 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: 763848.