California, 2024

Wildfire in California, August 1 to 31, 2024

August 1 to 31, 2024 · NWS STO · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

The Park Fire continued to burn into the month of August with a fire perimeter crossing Tehama and Butte Counties, north of Chico and east of Interstate 5. Slightly below normal temperatures and seasonal fire weather conditions allowed for limited additional spread of the fire by the end of the month.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

The Park Fire continued to burn into the month of August with a fire perimeter crossing Tehama and Butte Counties, north of Chico and east of Interstate 5. Slightly below normal temperatures and seasonal fire weather conditions allowed for limited additional spread of the fire by the end of the month. Evacuation warnings and orders ended.

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 Jul 31, 12:02 PM PST, 11 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 12:02 PM PST, 11 hours 58 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
102 PM PDT Wed Jul 31 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
Warming trend through the remainder of the week with above normal
high temperatures continuing into next week. Heat risk remains
mostly moderate through the forecast period. Threat of showers or
thunderstorms over the N Sierra Nevada Friday, expanding into the
mountains of Shasta/Western Plumas counties Friday night into
Saturday. Smoke or haze continues in the vicinity of fires.

&&

.Discussion...
Main forecast challenge continues to be dealing with an area of
monsoonal moisture that moves into the area Friday. Some higher
resolution short range models now suggesting perhaps a weak wave
embedded with the moisture...which would currently be located in
central Baja California. Timing of the wave and moisture right
now is looking to be not ideal for the development of
convection...which of course is a good thing considering fire
weather conditions. At this time expect a batch of clouds to push
into southern portions of the forecast area Friday morning from
12z to 18z. This may result in some sprinkles or very light
showers in the southern half of the valley. As the
moisture...which is pretty moist around 200% of normal and PW
values of around an inch then pushes north through the day. This
will bring a risk of a shower or isolated thunderstorm to pretty
much the entire Sierra and even down into upper foothills. Progged
instability not looking too high and even normally hot lightning
probs like the deterministic ECMWF lightning density not getting
too excited about thunderstorm coverage. All that said, after
extensive collaboration with neighbors including IMETS on Park
fire we will not...at this time...be issuing any fire weather
products...but we still need to see how things develop tommorrow
on the intensity of the wave and timing of it. We will have a
much better idea of this tonight and tomorrow to resasses the
overall thunderstorm threat. As far as the threat...this continues
to be heavy rain with the high PW air and also mainly along the
Sierra crest...and the lightning that may strike outside the rain
cores.

Saturday...looks like some moisture will linger but overall the
upper flow turns more south and west as well as about half the PW
values. Any activity that forms Saturday would likely be mostly
out of or moving out of our forecast area.

Temperature forecasts for Friday and Saturday are very warm but a
bit lower as we will be having the increased cloud cover around.
&&
.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Sunday THROUGH Wednesday)...

Interior NorCal sandwiched between upper low to the NW in EPAC
and Desert SW high Sunday. Upper high then gradually expands back
into the CWA early next week. Triple digit heat likely in the
Central Valley, but heat risk remains mainly moderate. Slight
chance of an afternoon shower or thunderstorm over higher
elevations of the Sierra Nevada, south of Highway 50, Sunday into
Tuesday.

&&

.AVIATION...

VFR conditions over next 24 hours with southerly winds generally
12 kts or below. Gusts in vicinity of the Delta up to 20 kts
possible at times. Areas of HZ/FU in vicinity of Park Fire,
generally VFR but brief reductions to MVFR possible.

&&

.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

Event by event

4 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Northern Sacramento Valley

When
August 1, 12:00 AM PST to August 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where
Northern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue

The Park Fire began the month at 22% contained with 393,012 acres. During the first half of the month, above normal temperatures and elevated fire weather conditions continued active spread and activity. Afternoon highs ranged from 82 to 104 with dry conditions of minimum humidities ranging from 10-25%. Rapid acre growth tapered off after August 8th, reaching 427,067 acres, 34% containment, 636 structures destroyed.

Conditions cooled to normal to below normal temperatures with seasonal fire weather conditions, including scattered rain showers, allowing for lowered fire activity. Temperatures ranged from mid 70s to mid 90s with containment at 79% and total acres at 429,603. By the end of the month, 709 Structures have been destroyed with 54 damaged. Currently, minimal fire activity is reported, well within the fire perimeter. An IMET remains deployed to the fire and is tasked through mid September.

Wildfire, Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County

When
August 1, 12:00 AM PST to August 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where
Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County forecast zone
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue

The Park Fire began the month at 22% contained with 393,012 acres. During the first half of the month, above normal temperatures and elevated fire weather conditions continued active spread and activity. Afternoon highs ranged from 82 to 104 with dry conditions of minimum humidities ranging from 10-25%. Rapid acre growth tapered off after August 8th, reaching 427,067 acres, 34% containment, 636 structures destroyed.

Conditions cooled to normal to below normal temperatures with seasonal fire weather conditions allowing for lowered fire activity. Temperatures ranged from mid 70s to mid 90s with containment at 79% and total acres at 429,603. 709 Structures destroyed and 54 damaged as of August 26th.

Wildfire, Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley

When
August 1, 12:00 AM PST to August 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where
Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue

The Park Fire began the month at 22% contained with 393,012 acres. During the first half of the month, above normal temperatures and elevated fire weather conditions continued active spread and activity. Afternoon highs ranged from 82 to 104 with dry conditions of minimum humidities ranging from 10-25%. Rapid acre growth tapered off after August 8th, reaching 427,067 acres, 34% containment, 636 structures destroyed.

Conditions cooled to normal to below normal temperatures with seasonal fire weather conditions, including scattered rain showers, allowing for lowered fire activity. Temperatures ranged from mid 70s to mid 90s with containment at 79% and total acres at 429,603. By the end of the month, 709 Structures have been destroyed with 54 damaged. Currently, minimal fire activity is reported, well within the fire perimeter. An IMET remains deployed to the fire and is tasked through mid September.

Wildfire, Central Sacramento Valley

When
August 1, 12:00 AM PST to August 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where
Central Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue

The Park Fire began the month at 22% contained with 393,012 acres. During the first half of the month, above normal temperatures and elevated fire weather conditions continued active spread and activity. Afternoon highs ranged from 82 to 104 with dry conditions of minimum humidities ranging from 10-25%. Rapid acre growth tapered off after August 8th, reaching 427,067 acres, 34% containment, 636 structures destroyed.

Conditions cooled to normal to below normal temperatures with seasonal fire weather conditions, including scattered rain showers, allowing for lowered fire activity. Temperatures ranged from mid 70s to mid 90s with containment at 79% and total acres at 429,603. By the end of the month, 709 Structures have been destroyed with 54 damaged. Currently, minimal fire activity is reported, well within the fire perimeter. An IMET remains deployed to the fire and is tasked through mid September.

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 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in California, August 2024

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: 1196460, 1196464, 1200609, 1200610.