Idaho, 2019Wildfire in Idaho, August 17 to 18, 2019
August 17 to 18, 2019 · NWS PIH · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A fire began between 1 and 2 pm MDT due to sparks from a broken drive line on a vehicle and spread to both sides of US Highway 26. Highway 26 closed for a period of time due to the fire near mile marker 300.
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- 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.
A fire began between 1 and 2 pm MDT due to sparks from a broken drive line on a vehicle and spread to both sides of US Highway 26. Highway 26 closed for a period of time due to the fire near mile marker 300. although strong winds drove the fire and threatened structures it was able to be contained with no damages.
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 Pocatello, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 17, 1:26 AM MST, 10 hours 34 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 1:26 AM MST, 10 hours 34 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
226 AM MDT Sat Aug 17 2019
.SHORT TERM...Today through Monday.
Main impact today will be windy conditions and several Red Flag
warnings are in effect as well as a Lake Wind Advisory for the
American Falls Reservoir from noon through 9 pm. Sustained winds
of 20 mph this afternoon expected throughout the Snake Plain with
gusts in the 25 to 35 mph range. Breezy conditions are again
expected Sunday but wind speeds not quite as high as today. Will
have cooler high temperatures again today similar to Friday but a
significant warming trend will kick in Sunday with high
temperatures again expected to be above normal Sunday and Monday.
Winds are expected to be lighter Monday. No precipitation is
expected in the short term period.
GK
.LONG TERM...Tuesday through Saturday.
Hot and dry conditions are expected throughout the long term with
light winds expected Tuesday and Wednesday with winds likely
increasing again by Thursday into Saturday.
GK
&&
.AVIATION...High pressure continues to build into southern Idaho,
this provides a dome over KBYI and KPIH which no clouds will likely
penetrate. KSUN is very nearly in the same boat. KIDA and KDIJ will
have some FEW-SCT cloud decks due to being on the fringe of the
high, but conditions are stable enough that no TSRA or even SHRA are
expected. The main forecast issue is how windy it will be in the
afternoon and early evening. No cross wind issues except at KSUN
where moderate westerly wind will reach the surface in the afternoon
during the heat of the day, rather than the usual upslope flow. By
early evening there, wind will once again align with the main
runway, from the NW. Messick
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...High pressure expected to dominate the next seven
days at least with no precipitation in sight during that time. The
lack of moisture will continue drying out fuels and areas where
humidity will fall below 15 percent during the afternoon will grow
greater in coverage, mainly in the eastern Magic Valley, Snake River
plain, and areas south and east of the Snake River. Gusty wind today
still looks like it will reach Red Flag criteria, so the Red Flag
Warning will continue. Sunday has more widespread low humidity, but
the wind speeds and gustiness will not be as strong as today.
Windiest locations on Sunday will transition to the northern end of
the Snake River plain, rather than today's main locations being the
eastern Magic Valley and areas of the Snake River plain that are
south and west of a line from Shelley to Atomic City to Arco. Messick
&&
.PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Lake Wind Advisory from noon today to 9 PM MDT this evening for
IDZ054.
Red Flag Warning from 3 PM this afternoon to 9 PM MDT this
evening for IDZ410-425-427.
&&
Wildfire, Lower Snake River Plain
- When
- August 17, 12:00 PM MST to August 18, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Lower Snake River Plain forecast zone
- Reported by
- Newspaper
- Coordinates
- 42.860, -112.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A fire began between 1 and 2 pm MDT due to sparks from a broken drive line on a vehicle and spread to both sides of US Highway 26. Highway 26 closed for a period of time due to the fire near mile marker 300. although strong winds drove the fire and threatened structures it was able to be contained with no damages.
- 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.
- High Surf in American Samoa, August 17, 20192 deaths · 1 event
- Tornado and Hail in Iowa, August 17, 2019$685,000 · EF1 · 8 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, August 17, 2019$295,000 · EF1 · 13 events
- Heat in Texas, August 17 to 21, 20197 injured · 46 events
- Flash Flood and Hail in Kansas, August 17 to 18, 2019$100,000 · 1.75 in hail · 29 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, August 17, 2019$103,000 · 2 in hail · 27 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, August 17, 20191 injured · $69,000 · 1 in hail · 20 events
- Damaging Winds in Vermont, August 17, 2019$140,000 · 60 kt wind · 8 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, August 17, 2019$85,000 · 1 in hail · 14 events
- Flash Flooding in New York, August 17, 2019$150,000 · 2 events
- Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, August 17 to 18, 2019$33,000 · 52 kt wind · 12 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, August 17, 2019$35,000 · 1.5 in hail · 7 events
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: 865911.