Wildfire in Idaho, August 9 to 11, 2022

Name: Wildfire in Idaho, August 9 to 11, 2022
Start: 2022-08-09T16:00
End: 2022-08-11T18:00
Location: Idaho

August 9 to 11, 2022 · NWS PIH · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The Ross Fork wildfire was reported during the afternoon of August 9th It was a grass fire that several fire agencies assisted on. It grew to 6,400 acres and high winds caused it to jump lines.

Where it happened

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.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1,000
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 PIH wrote it up.

The Ross Fork wildfire was reported during the afternoon of August 9th It was a grass fire that several fire agencies assisted on. It grew to 6,400 acres and high winds caused it to jump lines. Residents were evacuated from Ross Fork Creek Road on the 11th. After several bouts of losing control the fire was contained and only one outbuilding was destroyed. Several homes were not damaged. Containment occurred on August 11th by 6 pm.

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 9, 1:10 PM MST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 9, 1:10 PM MST, 2 hours 50 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
210 PM MDT Tue Aug 9 2022

.SHORT TERM...Today and Wednesday.
Under high pressure, today will be the warmest day of the week.
Highs will be in the 90s across the Snake River Plain and Eastern
Magic Valley, with locations furthest west potentially reaching
triple digits. Most other areas will reach the 80s, with 70s
forecast across the higher terrain.  As the broad ridge over our
region begins to shift eastward into the central U.S. and the closed
low along the west coast tracks northward, monsoonal moisture will
continue to shift further north and east tomorrow.  The western
portions of our CWA are already beginning to see an increase in
cloud cover and radar has been showing light returns (virga), but
the bulk of precipitation looks to stay just west of our CWA
throughout the remainder of today.  Clouds will continue to
overspread the region tomorrow afternoon and evening.  The WPC has
the western half of our CWA, west of Pocatello, in a marginal risk
of excessive rainfall for tomorrow and the SPC has the entire state
of Idaho in a general thunderstorm risk.  The entire region will see
isolated to scattered thunderstorms with wetting rains likely
tomorrow and more development further east as the evening
progresses. GEFS and EPS are forecasting 0.10" up to around 0.25"
24-hr. QPF across the Central Mtns. region and the South Hills
area, with at least a Trace to a tenth of an inch elsewhere. The
majority of ensemble members indicate precipitable water amounts
of around 1" Wednesday afternoon across the majority of the
region, with PWAT values increasing closer to 1.5" further into
Wednesday night/Thursday. Winds will be fairly light for much of
the short- term period with gusts likely not exceeding 20 mph
tomorrow, becoming breezier as we head into Thursday. Cropp

.LONG TERM...Thursday through Tuesday.
General theme in the long term period is presence of monsoonal
moisture on southwest flow aloft.  Expect at least a chance or
slight chance of thunderstorms through next Tuesday.  Some
operational long term models indicate at least a chance we may dry
out some next week as flow turns a bit more westerly.  But that far
out and with blends keeping chances of precipitation going did not
alter anything.  High temperatures are expected to be very close to
seasonal normal with expected clouds and some moisture present.
Overnight lows will likely be elevated in the moist pattern.
Mainly light winds expected outside of any convective activity. GK

&&

.AVIATION...VFR conditions forecast throughout the period with precipitation
expected to remain west of our region for the remainder of today.
Cloud cover will be FEW to SCT through tonight before steadily
increasing in coverage throughout the day tomorrow as monsoonal
moisture continues to shift further north and east.  Have forecast
VCSH at KBYI and KSUN beginning early tomorrow, with precipitation
and thunderstorms reaching the other sites later in the
evening/overnight hours based on hi-res model guidance. Generally
light winds of 10 kts or less expected through the period, with
slightly breezier winds likely by tomorrow afternoon-evening. Cropp

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Main impact will be the chance for thunderstorms Wednesday through
the weekend.   Best coverage likely Wednesday through Friday with
many areas seeing scattered coverage.   With the monsoonal flow they
are expected to be wet thunderstorms with some wetting rain
potential especially at high elevations.  Will hold off any red flag
warnings or watches even though may see scattered coverage at times
due to expected wetness of storms as we progress through the week.
Winds are not expected to be strong outside of potential
thunderstorm outflow as we progress through the week as well.
Temperatures generally near normal for high temperatures and above
normal for lows with expected moisture and cloud cover.  Haines will
drop from the 5 to 6 range today to the 2 to 4 range Wednesday
through Friday. GK

&&

.PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

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, Lower Snake River Plain

When: August 9, 4:00 PM MST to August 11, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Lower Snake River Plain forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 42.860, -112.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Ross Fork wildfire was reported during the afternoon of August 9th northeast of Pocatello near the intersection of Ross Fork and Ross Fork Creek roads It was a grass fire that several fire agencies assisted on. It grew to 6,400 acres and high winds caused it to jump lines. Residents were evacuated from Ross Fork Creek Road on the 11th. After several bouts of losing control the fire was contained and only one outbuilding was destroyed. Several homes were not damaged. Containment occurred on August 11th by 6 pm.

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 Idaho in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, August 2022

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: 1055328.