Thunderstorm Downs Power Lines

A thunderstorm Thursday evening ripped through the Inland Northwest, knocking down trees and power lines and causing some isolated power outages.

Throughout Eastern Washington and North Idaho, firefighters responded to reports of small lightning-strike fires, as well as downed power lines and trees from about 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Susan Nielsen, a Washington Water Power spokeswoman, said the storm caused isolated power outages in Spokane, Kellogg, Sandpoint, Pullman, Moscow and Lewiston.

Workers were trying late Thursday to bring power back to those areas, Nielsen said.

Kootenai County sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger said the storm blew through Coeur d’Alene in about two hours.

Lightning strikes sparked minor fires - two near Worley, the others near Athol, Dalton Gardens and Spirit Lake East.

“It hit hard and it hit fast,” Wolfinger said of the storm. “It was nothing serious.”

, DataTimes