Wildfire in Washington, July 31, 2018

Name: Wildfire in Washington, July 31, 2018
Start: 2018-07-31T15:30
End: 2018-07-31T23:59
Location: Washington

July 31, 2018 · NWS PDT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

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.

Where it happened

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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.

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.

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 Jul 31, 1:50 PM PST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 1:50 PM PST, 1 hour 40 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...Corrected
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
250 PM PDT Tue Jul 31 2018

.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Friday afternoon...A low amplitude
upper level short wave moved through northern Oregon this morning
and is now moving NE through southeast Washington. Most of the
elevated moisture associated this system had cloud bases too high to
support showers in the region today. Another upper level short wave
is just offshore of the northern California coast and will be moving
toward the northeast into central Oregon late this afternoon through
this evening. As such a few isolated thunderstorms are possible late
in the afternoon through this evening in central Oregon from the
Ochoco Mountains eastward to Grant County, the Blue Mountains and
the Wallowa Mountains.

The Extreme Heat Warnings and the Heat Advisories remain in effect
through this evening.

An upper level longwave trough is near 130W this afternoon with the
upper level ridge axis in Idaho and western Montana. This will keep
a dry southwest flow aloft over the region on Wednesday. The upper
level trough moves into the forecast area Thursday and ushers in a
marine push associated with a dry cold front along with breezy
conditions. A cooler airmass associated with the trough will drop
high temperatures Friday to around 5 degrees below normal. Polan

.LONG TERM...Friday night through Tuesday. 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...00z Tafs. Some cumulus developing over the mountains
later this afternoon and evening otherwise mid and high level clouds
with sct-bkn 100-200 through tonight. Mostly clear skies Wed.
Westerly winds increasing with 10-25kt expected tonight and Wed with
15-30kt at DLS. 94

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...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.
Perry

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  65 100  61  89 /  10   0   0   0
ALW  68  99  66  91 /  10   0   0   0
PSC  62  99  60  93 /  10   0   0   0
YKM  65  99  62  90 /  10   0   0   0
HRI  66 100  64  92 /  10   0   0   0
ELN  65  94  64  84 /  10   0   0   0
RDM  53  94  50  87 /  10   0   0   0
LGD  58  95  57  88 /  20  10  10   0
GCD  62  97  55  88 /  20  10   0   0
DLS  67  94  65  86 /  10   0   0   0

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ041-
     044-507-508-510.

     Red Flag Warning until 10 PM PDT Wednesday for ORZ610-639.

     Heat Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ049-050-502-
     503-505-506-509-511.

     Red Flag Warning until 11 PM PDT Thursday for ORZ641.

WA...Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for WAZ024-
     026>029-521.

     Red Flag Warning until 10 PM PDT Wednesday for WAZ639.

     Heat Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for WAZ030-520.

     Red Flag Warning from noon Wednesday to 11 PM PDT Thursday for
     WAZ641-675.

&&

99/94/94

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Eastern Columbia River Gorge

When: July 31, 3:30 PM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where: Eastern Columbia River Gorge forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 45.874, -120.789 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Inciweb.

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

Every storm in Washington in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, 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: 763972.