Fires reported following Flathead lightning storm
Lightning illuminates the sky outside Columbia Falls just before midnight Thursday as powerful thunderstorms moved through the area. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
The dangerous heat advisory for Northwest Montana ended with bang Thursday evening as a series of potent thunderstorms rocked the valley and sparked a few small wildfires.
The National Weather Service issued a significant weather advisory at 8:45 p.m. Thursday for northern portions of the Flathead Valley due to widespread lightning, gusty wind, hail and heavy rain. One weather station north of Whitefish recorded 0.84 inches of precipitation during the burst of severe weather, while Kalispell saw just 0.15 inches of precipitation.
The storm was packed with lightning, and according to Beth Pargman with the Flathead National Forest, crews responded to at least three new fires in the area on Friday morning.
One was in Rescue Creek in the Great Bear Wilderness south of Glacier National Park. Fire resources were on the scene as of Friday afternoon, and the blaze remained less than an acre.
Another fire less than an acre was spotted in the North Fork area. Fire crews were still looking for it as of 1:30 p.m. Friday.
The third fire was in the Mission Mountain Wilderness at Crystal Lake. Eight smokejumpers were dispatched to suppress the fire that was less than an acre in size.
Interagency fire managers on Friday agreed to implement Stage I fire restrictions across the Kootenai National Forest, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Libby Unit, and Lincoln County lands.
The Flathead National Forest, DNRC Kalispell Unit, Stillwater Unit, Swan Unit, Glacier National Park, Flathead and Lake counties are not currently under any restrictions.
People are reminded to be extra cautious with campfires and fireworks this holiday weekend.
TEMPERATURES IN Kalispell topped out at 96 on Thursday evening, setting a daily record in the city for the third consecutive day. The previous daily high was 95 set in 1924.
Normal highs for this time of year are in the upper 70s.
While the extreme heat has moved out of the area, the Fourth of July weekend will still be warm and dry with temperatures continuing to run well above normal. Expect highs in the upper 80s and low 90s for the next 10 days across Northwest Montana.
Wildfire smoke from fires in northern California and British Columbia will continue to infiltrate the region as well. This smoke will generally be elevated and have little impact on surface air quality, though hazy skies will be evident through at least Saturday, the National Weather Service noted.