Lightning from thunderstorms this afternoon caused at least seven fires on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, which firefighters, smokejumpers and rappellers managed to contain.
The widespread storms began about 2 p.m. and produced at least 380 lightning strikes across Northern California, the Forest Service reported.
Three fires, estimated at one-tenth of an acre each, were discovered near the headwaters of the Trinity River about eight miles northwest of Coffee Creek.
A fire burned about 1 acre five miles west of Lake Siskiyou.
A fire five miles south of Burnt Ranch and another one five miles northwest of Hyampom were suppressed at one-tenth of an acre.
A quarter-acre fire north of Mount Shasta near the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial on Highway 97 was contained to a quarter-acre.
“We’ve ordered an additional aerial reconnaissance flight tomorrow and will probably find new fires,” Fire Chief Arlen Cravens of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest said tonight.
“We’ve got all our fires staffed and ninety-eight percent of the time we succeed if we can get them knocked down in the first twenty-four hours,” Cravens said.
Spokesman Kent Romney said a threat of dry lightning from thunderstorms could continue through Thursday and that firefighters will be closely monitoring the situation.
Story by The Record Searchlight / photo via Spotfireimages.com
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