34 Fires Set By Lightning

Firefighters’ efforts to control the West Plains wildfire Wednesday were slowed by a thunderstorm that rolled through the Inland Northwest, sparking 34 small fires.

Lightning struck twice near the perimeter of the 3,000-acre blaze, but the resulting fires quickly were doused.

Nearly 100 firefighters and 15 engines were sent from the big fire to battle small ones sprouting in Spokane, Lincoln and Pend Oreille counties.

A helicopter was sent to help put out a fire south of Turnbull Wildlife Refuge near Cheney. It burned at least 30 acres.

The lightning fires “had quite a bit of an effect on us,” said Lloyd Handlos of the state Department of Natural Resources.

But all of the fires were tamed fairly quickly with the help of rain, he said.

The West Plains fire started Sunday, blown by the wind from Bowie and Christensen roads into Riverside State Park.

The fire is expected to be under control sometime this evening with the help of almost 600 firefighters. They want to extinguish the blaze before Friday, when winds are expected to kick up again.

Besides the lightning strikes, there was another problem Wednesday. A West Side inmate battling the wildfire for the DNR escaped in the early afternoon. Sheriff’s deputies searched for him Wednesday night.

Fighting the blaze has cost about $650,000 so far, officials said.

To help address wildfire protection, the DNR will hold a community meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Spokane County Agricultural Building at 222 N. Havana.

The meeting will help the department and other agencies chart wildfire protection in the state.

, DataTimes