Lightning storms spark 7 fires on forest

Sunday’s thunderstorms brought more than 100 lightning strikes to the Flathead National Forest, sparking at least seven small fires.

Five of the fires are in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the other two are on the Spotted Bear Ranger District outside the wilderness.

Lightning strikes can smolder for days and may not develop into fires until there are conditions such as hot weather and high winds.

All of the known fires are being suppressed. Aerial surveillance flights were conducted over the fires Monday for size estimates.

In the wilderness, the Black Bear Hump fire, the Sarah Peak fire, the Upper Bartlett fire, and the Brownstone fire are less than an acre and are either contained, controlled or under initial attack.

The Snow Peak fire is at 8 acres and under initial attack.

Outside the wilderness, the Green Mountain and Spotted Bear Mountain fires were each contained at less than an acre.