Lightning sparks fires across Boundary County
Photo by MORGAN DRAXLIR Lightning ignited a fire on Silver Springs Rd. on May 16.
This tree shows the effects of being struck by lightning after a storm rolled across Boundary County on May 17. The strike ignited a fire on Morgan Draxlir’s property. Photo by MORGAN DRAXLIR
Photo by MORGAN DRAXLIR With quick response, the fires were put out quickly.
Photo by MORGAN DRAXLIR The lightning traveled along an old wire fence, ignighting a second stand of trees.
Photo by MORGAN DRAXLIR Crews working to put out the fire on Silver Springs Rd.
(Courtesy Photo) The flashing was blown off by the lightening strike in Moyie Springs.
(Courtesy Photo) Crews remove the burned tree in Whispering Pines.
(Courtesy Photo) Idaho Department of Lands removed the large lightning struck tree in Moyie Springs.
BONNERS FERRY — A spring thunderstorm rolled across Boundary County on May 17, igniting fires on two different properties with lightning strikes.
Morgan Draxlir had one strike on the edge of his property in the afternoon.
“It was an unbelievable flash and boom,” said Draxlir. “Moments later we saw smoke rising at the edge of the field and forest.”
The lighting hit in one location and grounded to an old barb wire fence, leaving a long, black scorched mark through the grass, and started a second fire in another group of trees. Curley Creek Volunteer Fire responded and had the two fires extinguished quickly. Idaho Department of Lands also responded.
“Just wanted to say thank you to the neighbors and volunteer firemen down Silver Springs Road for all their help in getting it safely put out,” said Draxlir.
Another call around 10:30 p.m. reported a lightning strike next to a house and a large tree was on fire in Whispering Pines, Moyie Springs. Ten to 15 minutes later they received a report that the homeowner smelled natural gas. The house was then evacuated.
North Bench Fire responded with auto aid from South Boundary Fire, as well as Boundary Ambulance.
“Once we got on scene you definitely could smell gas,” said North Bench Fire Chief Gus Jackson. “There was one tree on fire and lots of natural gas in the area. We shut off the meter and as soon as we shut off the meter, you could feel it (the gas) still flowing underground somewhere.”
“What had happened was when the strike hit, it also hit the shop next to it,” explained Jackson. “It traveled back through some electrical conduit and also through some of the flashing on the outside. It blew some of the flashing out, and some chunks, and then it followed the conduit back to the breaker box, actually broke the breaker and went back through the system to the main electrical pedestal.”
From there, it traveled underground through the electric line to where it crossed the gas line.
“It was enough to short in between them and actually melt the gas line, which then allowed the gas to go into the electrical conduit, to the shop, to the house, and to the main pedestal,” said Jackson. “It was blowing natural gas out of all three of them.”
North Bench was able to get the fire under control, and with assistance from Avista and City Electric, they were able to clear the scene safely around 3 a.m.
Idaho Department of Lands was called in to access the situation and returned the next day to safely remove the large diameter Ponderosa Pine. Idaho Department of Lands Fire Warden Ken Homik said that the top was blown out of the tree and that it was about 36 inches in diameter.