This fire start around milepost 90 of Washington highway 14 in Klickitat county. The fire burned east along the Columbia River and the highway due to gusty west winds.
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.
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 start around milepost 90 of Washington highway 14 in Klickitat county. The fire burned east along the Columbia River and the highway due to gusty west winds. The fire consumed 14,500 acres of mostly grass and some sagebrush. Cause is under investigation.
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 Jul 31, 9:35 PM PST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Update
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
1035 PM PDT Tue Jul 31 2018
Updated Aviation Discussion
.SHORT TERM...Evening Update...The northern end of the strong upper
ridge over the western U.S. will continue to shift east and flatten
as an upper trough edges into the Pacific Northwest. A band of high
level moisture, mainly above 20000 feet MSL, is currently streaming
across the region. Deeper moisture remains in Nevada and is trying
to work into southeast Oregon. Largely do not expect any
thunderstorms to develop this evening and have removed the mention
from the forecast. There remains a slight hint that a band of storms
may develop after midnight and brush southeast Grant county. Thus
have added an area of slight chance thunder in that area. Onshore
surface flow has been spreading over much of the area. This flow has
been pushing some marine air into the region. Thus this new air mass
plus the loss of daytime heating has resulted in cooling. Temps were
not as hot as expected along the Cascade east slopes and in the
Gorge today, thus cancelled the heat highlights in these areas
earlier this evening. Will end the other heat highlights towards 10
PM. 90
.LONG TERM...Previous Discussion...Cooler weather expected for the
extended period with an upper level trough over the Pacific
northwest. Models are having some difficulty coming into agreement
with the Euro and Canadian similar and the GFS offering up a
different solution. Have opted for a blend at this point. In general
expecting partly cloudy skies through the period. Temperatures will
be closer to normal values with highs in the 70s and 80s. Overnight
lows in the 40s and 50s.
&&
.AVIATION...06z TAFs...Bands of high based cirrus cloudiness will
linger over the area early in this period. This cloud cover should
give way to clear skies by late morning Wednesday. An upper trough
edging towards the Pacific Northwest will continue to strengthen the
current onshore flow, leading to locally breezy conditions. These
winds will be most persistent at KDLS, while these winds will
develop either during late morning or in the afternoon at KPDT, KRDM
and KBDN. Lighter winds can be expected at KALW, KPSC and KYKM. 90
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Previous Discussion...A trough approaching the coast
has shifted high pressure off to the east and will remain along the
coast for the next few days. Pressure gradients are tightening up
and breezy to windy conditions are expected through the rest of the
week. Humidity remains very low and will rise gradually for the next
few days. Currently a Red Flag Warning is in effect in and near the
Columbia Gorge through Wednesday evening after which the Columbia
Gorge will have humidities rise high enough to end the threat there.
Oregon and Washington Columbia Basin and Blue Mountain Foothills
zones will have low humidity Wednesday and only slightly higher
Thursday. 10 to 20 mph winds Wednesday will increase to 15 to 25 mph
on Thursday creating critical fire weather conditions in the
afternoon and evening. Winds will continue breezy Friday but cooler
and less dry conditions will reduce the threat to below Red Flag
Warning Levels.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 66 97 61 89 / 10 0 0 0
ALW 69 99 66 91 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 64 99 60 93 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 65 99 62 90 / 10 0 0 0
HRI 66 99 64 92 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 64 94 64 84 / 10 0 0 0
RDM 50 94 50 87 / 10 0 0 0
LGD 58 96 57 88 / 10 10 10 0
GCD 60 96 55 88 / 10 10 0 0
DLS 67 94 65 86 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ044-
507-508-510.
Red Flag Warning until 10 PM PDT Wednesday for ORZ610-639.
Heat Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ049-050-502-
503-505-506-511.
Red Flag Warning from noon Wednesday to 11 PM PDT Thursday for
ORZ641.
WA...Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for
WAZ026>029-521.
Red Flag Warning until 10 PM PDT Wednesday for WAZ639.
Heat Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for WAZ030.
Red Flag Warning from noon Wednesday to 11 PM PDT Thursday for
WAZ641-675.
&&
90/94/90/83The 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 Washington in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, August 2018
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: 763976.