Name: Wildfire in California, August 7 to 22, 2024
Start: 2024-08-07T01:21
End: 2024-08-22T20:00
Location: California

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 Crozier Fire started in the night on August 7th, 2024 northwest of Slate Mountain and burned actively for the first two days. The fire burned 1,960 acres and was reported 100% contained on August 22nd. Seasonably hot temperatures, low relative humidity, dry fuels, and locally breezy winds were observed during the initial spread.

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 Aug 7, 12:30 AM PST, 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 7, 12:30 AM PST, 51 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
130 AM PDT Wed Aug 7 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
Hot and dry weather continues this week before gradually cooler
temperatures return over the weekend into next week.

&&

.Discussion...
Strong southwest ridge has extended westward into NorCal resulting
in another bout of hot and dry weather. Surface pressure gradients
have trended a little more offshore and satellite and profiler
data show the marine layer is nearly non-existent along the
coast.

It'll be another hot day with temperatures expected above the
century mark once again throughout the Central Valley. HeatRisk
will mainly be in the Moderate category with areas of Major across
the northern San Joaquin Valley and in the Sierra foothills. The
combination of hot and dry conditions (humidity in the single
digits and teens across most of the region) along with local
breezes in the afternoons/evenings will result in elevated fire
weather conditions through at least Thursday.

Only minor cooling is forecast late this week as the ridge
flattens and recenters further east as a weak trough develops over
the PacNW. This pattern may support modest increases in humidity
with an increase in onshore flow.

&&

.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Sunday THROUGH Wednesday)...
Upper troughing progged to slowly deepen over the weekend
resulting in increased onshore and deeper marine layer. NBM
advertising near to below high temperatures Sunday with 90s
throughout the Central Valley and 70s to low 90s for the mountains
and foothills. Ensembles continuing upper troughing early next
week, but cluster analysis showing differences in depth of trough.
NBM favoring lowering of heights/thicknesses early next with
continued cooling trend. By Tuesday, NBM advertising upper 80s to
lower 90s for the Central Valley. Below normal high temperatures
continue midweek as upper troughing remains dominant synoptic
feature over NorCal. Dry weather expected through the extended
forecast period.

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR conditions over interior NorCal next 24 hrs exc lcl MVFR
possible in HZ/FU vcnty of fires. Sfc wind mainly below 12 kts
except vcnty of Delta, SWly sfc wind 15-25 kts aft 22z Wed.

&&

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

&&

Event by event

2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland

When: August 7, 1:21 AM PST to August 22, 8:00 PM PST
Where: Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland forecast zone
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

The Crozier Fire started in the night on August 7th, 2024 and was discovered at 1:21 AM. It burned actively for the first two days in steep, rugged timber and in dry fuels. The fire burned a total of 1,960 acres and was reported 100% contained on August 20th. Evacuation orders were in place for Garden Valley, Georgetown, Volcanoville, Mosquito, Quintette, and Swansboro areas. Evacuation warnings were in place for areas to the east and southwest of the fire. Seasonably hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and locally breezy wind gusts of up to 10-20 mph were observed during the initial spread. Daytime highs in the 90s to around 100 degrees were observed during the active burning periods, with daytime relative humidity in the low teens and poor overnight recoveries around 20-30%.

Wildfire, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When: August 7, 1:21 AM PST to August 22, 8:00 PM PST
Where: West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

The Crozier Fire started in the night on August 7th, 2024 and was discovered at 1:21 AM. It burned actively for the first two days in steep, rugged timber and in dry fuels. The fire burned a total of 1,960 acres and was reported 100% contained on August 20th. Evacuation orders were in place for Garden Valley, Georgetown, Volcanoville, Mosquito, Quintette, and Swansboro areas. Evacuation warnings were in place for areas to the east and southwest of the fire. Seasonably hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and locally breezy wind gusts of up to 10-20 mph were observed during the initial spread. Daytime highs in the 90s to around 100 degrees were observed during the active burning periods, with daytime relative humidity in the low teens and poor overnight recoveries around 20-30%.

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 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 1207976, 1207977.