Few strikes after storm

SANDPOINT — Firefighters generally expect the worst from lightning storms, however, local officials say Monday night’s storm was fairly mild.

Ed Robinson, area manager for the Idaho Department of Lands, said that although recent fire danger levels have been classified as “very high,” the 12 to 14 lightning strikes produced during Monday’s storm did not result in any fires in the area.

While Bonner County’s most recent storm looked and sounded imposing, it was relatively weak compared to the storm that passed through the area on Aug. 8, which produced more than 100 lightning strikes numerous fires.

Fire crews have contained all eight fires from the Aug. 8 storm, but because small fires can linger for weeks, Robinson and his staff must remain vigilant.

“A week or so after the storm, you’ve probably seen 90 percent of what’s going to happen, but small fires can linger for a long time,” Robinson said.

U.S. Forest Service fire management officer Dave Lux  said a small fire can avoid detection for weeks before growing into a larger, more destructive blaze.

“A tree will get hit and the inside will catch fire and just smolder for days or even weeks,” Lux said. “As it smolders, the tree will weaken until it falls over, and then the fire will often expand a bit and the fire will pop up.”

To counteract lingering fires, Lux uses a lightning detection system that tracks the latitude and longitude of every lightning strike in the area. Once the coordinates are known, air patrol units can monitor the area for possible flair ups.  

Like Robinson, Lux said Monday’s storm was relatively uneventful, although it did spark a small fire on Mount Eagen that should will be extinguished soon. With the forecast calling for cooler weather for the next several days, Lux said the possibility of lingering fires is greatly reduced.

“Whether or not fires come from this storm depends on how much precipitation we get over the next few days,” Lux said. “We’re supposed to get some rain, and if that’s the case it will really knock the fire danger back.”

Barring a late-season flurry of activity, the summer fire season will be considered average, said Lux.

“We’ve had our share of fires, but nothing extreme,” Lux said. “We had a nice, healthy snow pack and a cool spring, so the fire danger has been pretty modest. Nothing like the past two years.”