Idaho, 2020Wildfire in Idaho, September 12 to 30, 2020
September 12 to 30, 2020 · NWS PIH · 1 event in 1 county or zone
The Badger Fire began on September 12th at around 5 pm MDT and continued through the rest of September. It grew to near 90,000 acres and was located 20 miles southwest of Oakley.
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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.
The Badger Fire began on September 12th at around 5 pm MDT and continued through the rest of September. It grew to near 90,000 acres and was located 20 miles southwest of Oakley. High winds and extremely dry fuels caused rapid spread including long range spotting and fire whirls. There was an evacuation order for all residents on private land in Rock Creek Canyon and Dry Creek on the 18th but was lifted on 8 AM on Sunday, September 20th. The Sawtooth National Forest issued the Badger Fire Road, Trail and Area closure on September 15th. Drones were prohibited over the area. Main fuels were timber (litter and understory), heavy logging slash, sub-alpine fir, lodgepole pine, juniper, mountain brush and grass. The fire was around 85 percent contained by the end of September.
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 Sep 12, 12:30 PM MST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 12, 12:30 PM MST, 3 hours 30 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
130 PM MDT Sat Sep 12 2020
.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Monday night. Satellite imagery shows
a widespread area of smoke extending into southwest Idaho. Expect to
see that smoke drift eastward overnight as ridging aloft slowly
moves to the east. A somewhat stronger southerly flow will return to
the region Sunday night. With smoke still present, temperatures may
be moderated somewhat, but still expected to be in the mid to upper
80s by Monday. Monday should be a bit breezier with a tighter
gradient setting up over the region. Hinsberger
.LONG TERM...Tuesday through next Saturday. Models remain in lock
step through Thursday as the upper low continues to take shape off
NW coast early in the period and the downstream ridge amplifies
across the NRN Great Basin Wednesday. We may yet see locally breezy
conditions across the CNTRL mountains Tuesday afternoon in the wake
of Monday's ejecting energy from the low off the coast but with the
ridge amplifying Wednesday we should return to a lighter wind
regime. The ridge axis may work east of the region as early as
Thursday if the more progressive operational GFS verifies otherwise
Friday is looking like the most likely time frame as the low off the
NW coast begins to move onshore opening the door for increased SW
flow aloft across the region and a chance of showers and afternoon
thunderstorms Friday and Saturday. Huston
&&
.AVIATION...Visible satellite imagery was showing smoke from the
Oregon wildfires working into SW Idaho with VIS reduced to 5SM at
ONO and 1SM at BKE. For now not anticipating VIS to be reduced any
lower than 6SM with HZ at SUN and BYI. VFR conditions should prevail
through Sunday. Huston
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Critically low humidity values will be present
tomorrow with poor recovery in the Central Mountains tomorrow night.
Near critical fire weather conditions are anticipated on Monday as
winds increase with gusts approaching 25 mph. Winds should subside
slightly on Wednesday, but humidity will still dip to around 12 to
18 percent across much of the forecast area. A gradual increase in
humidity is in store Thursday through Saturday, with wind speeds
expected to increase as well. Thunderstorm chances increase Friday
night with the approach of a strong upper trough. Hinsberger
&&
.AIR STAGNATION...As high pressure progresses eastward this weekend,
smoke from wildfires to our west will track toward Idaho. HRRR Smoke
is showing reduced visibilities as early as this evening across
Central Idaho and portions of South Idaho. The high continues to
track eastward through Idaho Sunday; allowing for reduced
visibilities across all of Southeast Idaho. A more southwesterly
flow will take over Monday and Tuesday which is likely to bring the
northern and central California wildfire smoke into the region; as
opposed to the Oregon fire smoke. ND
&&
.PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.
&&
Wildfire, Southern Hills-Albion Mountains
- When
- September 12, 4:00 PM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
- Where
- Southern Hills-Albion Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 42.284, -113.600 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Badger Fire began on September 12th at around 5 pm MDT and continued through the rest of September. It grew to near 90,000 acres and was located 20 miles southwest of Oakley. High winds and extremely dry fuels caused rapid spread including long range spotting and fire whirls. There was an evacuation order for all residents on private land in Rock Creek Canyon and Dry Creek on the 18th but was lifted on 8 AM on Sunday, September 20th. The Sawtooth National Forest issued the Badger Fire Road, Trail and Area closure on September 15th. Drones were prohibited over the area. Main fuels were timber (litter and understory), heavy logging slash, sub-alpine fir, lodgepole pine, juniper, mountain brush and grass. The fire was around 85 percent contained by the end of September.
- 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.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Kentucky, September 12 to 13, 2020$550,000 · 21 events
- Flash Flooding and Tropical Depression in Florida, September 12 to 13, 2020$20,000 · 11 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, September 12, 202017 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, September 12 to 13, 202016 events
- Dense Fog in Missouri, September 12, 202010 events
- Dense Fog in Kentucky, September 12, 20208 events
- Dense Smoke in Washington, September 12 to 19, 20206 events
- Marine Tropical Storm in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, September 12 to 13, 20205 events
- Dense Fog in Illinois, September 12, 20205 events
- Dense Smoke in Idaho, September 12 to 19, 20204 events
- Debris Flow and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, September 12, 2020$500 · 3 events
- Marine Tropical Storm in Gulf of Mexico, September 12 to 13, 20203 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: 922827.