Name: Wildfire in California, June 8 to 17, 2019
Start: 2019-06-08T13:50
End: 2019-06-17T09:40
Location: California

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
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 STO wrote it up.

A upper level low passed through the region, which brought elevated fire weather concerns to northern California. Areas impacted within Sacramento's forecast area include the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys for areas generally below 1000 feet.

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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 8, 1:46 PM PST, 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 8, 1:46 PM PST, 4 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
246 PM PDT Sat Jun 8 2019

.SYNOPSIS...

Gusty northerly winds and elevated fire weather conditions continue
through this weekend. Early next week, temperatures will rise to
well above normal bringing excessive heat concerns to most of the
Valley.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

A trough continues to move east and out of the area while upper
ridging takes its place over the western US. Dry and breezy
conditions continue through the evening with winds subsiding a bit
after midnight. Only a slight recovery in humidity values is seen
overnight before dropping into the low teens again tomorrow.
Luckily, northerly winds will not be as strong tomorrow as today
although some gusts up to 35 mph may be seen in the morning and
afternoon hours. The Red Flag Warning continues through tomorrow
afternoon for portions of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley
below 1000 feet.

After this weekend, the focus shifts to the increasing high
temperatures of early next week. High pressure will keep NorCal
dry with mostly clear skies during this time. Both Monday and
Tuesday will see Valley highs exceeding 100 degrees, with
locations roughly 15 to 20 degrees above normal values for this
time of year. An Excessive Heat Watch has been issued for portions
of the Valley for both these days and groups sensitive to heat
should take precautions. In the mountains, highs will reach into
the 70s and 80s.

.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Wednesday THROUGH Saturday)

Upper ridge across the west coast begins to break down on Wednesday
as an upper low just off the coast of NorCal moves towards the area.
Multiple shortwaves move across the western CONUS through the
extended, with deterministic models bringins some small
precipitation chances to far northern California mainly Thursday and
Friday. The NBM keeps these chances north and have opted to continue
the dry forecast at this time.

Afternoon highs Wednesday are once again hot (although less than
previous days) with Valley temperatures in the upper 90s and low
100s. Additional heat concerns may be seen this day. A slight
cooling will continue for the rest of the week as flow becomes more
onshore with Valley high temperatures in the 90s. Mountain locations
will be in the 60s and 70s towards the end of the week.

&&

.AVIATION...

VFR conditions the next 24 hours. Northerly winds will be
generally 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Winds decreasing
slightly after 00z Sunday, picking up again after 12Z mainly at
RDD/RBL.

&&

.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Red Flag Warning until 5 PM PDT Sunday for Carquinez Strait and
Delta-Central Sacramento Valley in Glenn, Colusa, Yuba, Northern
Sutter, and Butte County Below 1000 Ft-Eastern Portion of
Shasta/Trinity NF-Northern Sacramento Valley to Southern Tehama
County Line Below 1000 Ft-Northern San Joaquin Valley in San
Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties Below 1000 ft-Southern
Sacramento Valley in Yolo-Sacramento Far Western Placer,
southern Sutter and Solano County Below 1000 Ft.

Excessive Heat Watch from Monday afternoon through Tuesday
evening for Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley-
Clear Lake/Southern Lake County-Motherlode-Mountains
Southwestern Shasta County to Northern Lake County-Northeast
Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern
San Joaquin Valley-Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County-
Southern Sacramento Valley.

Wind Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for Central
Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Southern Sacramento
Valley.

&&

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Southern Sacramento Valley

When: June 8, 1:50 PM PST to June 17, 9:40 AM PST
Where: Southern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

On June 8, conditions were favorable for wildfire growth as relative humidity values fell into the teens and northerly winds gusted up to 25-45 mph. Prior to the start of this event, the local utility company decided to de-energize power lines per CA Public Utility Commissions (CPUC) Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) guidelines. Eventually, a fire did start at 1350PST in Yolo County, which became known as the Sand Fire. There were 2512 acres of land burned over a period of 8 days, along with 7 structures destroyed. The fire also led to road closures from Highway 16 to Highway 20 to the town Brooks in addition to the evacuation of residents living along County Road 41.

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

More

Every storm in California in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in California, June 2019

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: 837626.