(KAMIAH, ID) — In the wildland firefighting world, a weather event called a “lightning bust” can occur, where a large number of wildfires are simultaneously started as a result of a lightning storm. Typically, these storms will roll into an area in the form of dry lightning storms, with little to no precipitation accompanying them. These lightning busts might start fires that are found within the first day after the storm front, but there is a high likelihood that a fire will not “show itself” (produce noticeable smoke) until a few days after the event, sometimes even a few weeks to manifest!
When a lightning bust makes its way into an area, the amount of new fire starts that are produced can overwhelm local capacity. With so many new fire starts and only so many firefighting resources, fire management officials are forced to prioritize which fires are responded to first with available resources based on immediate threats to values at risk, such as life, property, and natural resources. Fire management officials are faced with an even larger challenge with prioritizing resources when a lightning bust hits multiple areas and forests across the region. Right now, north-central Idaho received this last lightning bust, which resulted in the Bluff Creek Complex and the Gwen Fire. As of today, the Grangeville Dispatch Zone has received 69 starts from the recent lightning bust that occurred on July 24, 2024. Holly Arnzen, current Grangeville Dispatch Center Manager, shared her thoughts on this recent lightning bust, “Last Thursday was a day that I have never experienced in my entire career, and I have been a dispatcher since 1991. We had 69 wildfires from last Wednesday to date, and that doesn’t include the Powell Campground Disaster. Between the drastic acreage increase for the Gwen Fire for in one day, having only one aircraft dispatcher working, training brand new initial attack dispatchers, reporting structures lost, and receiving the amount of calls from Nez Perce County and other areas, it will be a day that is ingrained in my memory for the rest of my life!”
When large incidents threaten values such as communities, properties, and local economies, prompt decisions are made to prioritize which incidents receive certain types of resources. This often depends on where they will be most effective at protecting values at risk within a geographical area. This prioritization and resource utilization means that some fires that do not pose immediate threats to communities or other values will be checked a little later. So, what does that look like when initial attack resources show up to one of these “lightning bust” caused fires?
The initial attack stage during a lightning bust happens extremely quickly, with crews being dispatched to whatever smoke check was reported first. When arriving at the approximate location of one of these fires, firefighters primarily use two of their five senses to help find these fires: smell and sight. Either seeing the smoke or smelling it is what will key firefighters in to where the fire might be, and once they find the location of where the fire is, they tend to look for the “strike tree”, or what the lightning contacted to start the lightning-caused fire. If there is a strike tree, it will typically look like it has been blown up, which can throw pieces of burning tree and ignite ground fuels to further carry fire spread. During these lightning busts, some fires may not reveal themselves for a while, and when firefighters arrive on scene, they may come across the fire slowly creeping and smoldering along the ground, or in some cases it has had days to build into intensely burning fire in tree canopies or moving rapidly in one direction. How well-established the fire is can greatly impact the outcome of initial attack, since it is impossible for a firefighter with a hand tool to contain a crown fire.
The goal is to catch these fires as small as possible so that firefighters can control and contain the fire and move on to the next smoke report. It may take a few days to get a combination of constructed and natural fireline around the perimeter before crews feel comfortable moving on to the next wildfire. While the adrenaline from so many starts helps energize firefighters for the next few days or weeks of work, these lightning events can also take a toll on resources. Working continuous days on end, often close to 16 hours each day, firefighters can become exhausted from the amount of new fire starts that a lightning bust can bring. Out in the forest for days on end, sleeping on the ground and eating MREs, firefighters need to also prioritize their health and safety so that they can be ready for whatever new start might come up during a lightning bust. Policy and good management ensure that work-to-rest ratios are maintained, and except for emergencies, that firefighters can go home after 14 days to recover for the next round.
Lightning busts can cause what seems like an overwhelmingly large number of fire starts, but with the prompt, coordinated, diligent response from local resources, most of these fires do not extend past initial attack efforts.
For information on current Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ fires, please call the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ Fire Information Line, 208-935-6134, or check InciWeb for large fire updates, https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/.
Current Active Fires on the Nez Perce-Clearwater NF as of reporting time:
Salmon River Ranger District
Ace Butte Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 24, 2024 and is located 22 ½ miles northeast of Riggins, ID. The fire is approximately 75 acres.
Anchor Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 28, 2024 and is located approximately three miles north of the Ace Butte Fire, and about 23 miles southeast of White Bird, ID. The fire is approximately 75 acres.
Swift Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 28 and is located approximately 17 ½ miles southeast of White Bird, ID. The fire is about 1.5 acres and is currently in mop-up status, where firefighters are searching for and extinguishing any remaining heat.
Red River Ranger District
Shepp Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 25, 2024 and is located 12 ½ miles southwest of Dixie, ID and about six miles south of Oregon Butte. The fire is approximately 100 acres and currently has 13 personnel engaged in direct suppression tactics. Firefighters are working to secure and improve established fireline and are beginning mop-up operations.
Moose Creek Ranger District
Wye Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 25, 2024 and is located approximately four and a half miles northwest of Freeman Peak and seven miles northeast of the Moose Creek Airstrip. The fire is approximately 3,500 acres and burning primarily in a 2015 fire scar.
Roll Tide Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 28, 2024 and is located 22 miles southeast of Lowell, ID and 14 miles southwest of the Moose Creek Airstrip. The fire is approximately one acre.
Otter Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 29, 2024 and is located approximately one mile north of the Roll Tide Fire, 22 1/2 miles southeast of Lowell, ID and 13 miles southwest of the Moose Creek Airstrip. The fire is approximately two acres.
Lochsa Ranger District
Bald Mountain Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 26, 2024 and is located less than one mile north of Bald Mountain and two miles northwest of Castle Butte Lookout. The fire is 1/10th of an acre. The fire is anticipated to be out today.
Bowl Creek Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 26, 2024 and is located four and a half miles southeast of Rocky Ridge and seven miles northwest of Highway 12. The fire is less than 1/10th of an acre.
Powell Ranger District
Boulder Creek Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 24, 2024 and is located ten miles north of the Powell Ranger Station and 12 miles west of Lolo Hot Springs. The fire is approximately 25 acres, burning in high alpine timber.
Grave Butte Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire that was detected on July 29, 2024 and is located ten miles west of Jerry Johnson Campground and about half a mile from National Forest Service Road #107 (Saddle Camp Road). The fire is a quarter of an acre with creeping and smoldering fire behavior.
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An example of a tree that was struck by lightning on an incident on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.
(Photo credits USDA Forest Service)
Anchor Fire puffing up smoke earlier in the week before the rain came in.
(Photo credit USDA Forest Service)
Crews working on the Anchor Fire in extremely steep, rugged terrain.
(Photo Credit USDA Forest Service)