Lightning strikes spark fires

Grant Scott - Jul 14, 2012 / 9:54 am | Story: 77919

Friday's spectacular lightning show witnessed throughout the Okanagan and other parts of BC has left behind a few small reminders.

A number of fires have started throughout the Kamloops Fire District after a series of lightning strikes.

"There was pretty intense lightning last night, so I know that we've got about a dozen initial attack targets right now," says Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek.

"All of them are spot-sized fires. It looks like the lightning was a little bit wetter than we anticipated. This morning, they're working through and getting crews out to all of them and taking a look from the air just to see how things are going."

Skrepnek added that most of the fires they are currently attacking occurred near the Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Hope.

In the South Okanagan, the Penticton Indian Band reports they responded three times to a wildfire on Green Mountain Road Friday night.

They were first called out at 9:09 p.m., with subsequent calls at 10:21 and 10:40 p.m., although they have not released the official cause of the start of that fire.

The weather forecast for the Okanagan is calling for more thunderstorms up and down the valley today.