July 15, 2009, 3:39 pm
Several large thunderstorms passed through eastern Idaho Sunday. Leaving many in awe at its beauty and power.
But lightning can put those at the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in standby mode.
Only one fire is being blamed on last nights storm here in eastern Idaho. But in Grand Teton National Park, three have been blamed on lightning strikes.
The East Idaho Interagency Fire Center says there were 400 ground strikes last night alone, with nearly eight thousand that didn't hit ground.
They use Vaisala's National Lightning Detection Network to track storms and lightning strikes. Each strike has the potential to start a devastating wildfire in Idaho's back country.
One of the reasons that last night's storm wasn't as potent is because of all the rain we've had over the past few months. The ground is saturated with moisture, which prevents a fire from getting the upper hand. But that doesn't mean a day or two of hot weather with strong winds like we've had Monday wouldn't dry things out.
Lightning isn't the only cause of wildfires either.
Patty Kraayenbrink: "But there have been some campfires that have gotten out of hand this year. I think it's just from complacency of people thinking that it's wet, so it will die out on its own."
Just a quick warning: this week is expected to be dry and windy.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning Sunday for north Utah. Those same dry, windy conditions could also be a problem here as well.
