NEW Lightning strike sparks brush fire south of Union Gap

Lightning strikes in a storm front that moved through the Yakima area Friday evening sparked at least one fire.

Lower Valley and Union Gap firefighters were at the scene of a hillside brush fire caused by a lightning strike around 7 p.m. Friday near U.S. Highway 97 just south of Union Gap.

The fire was just west of the highway, and Washington State Patrol troopers were also on the scene in case smoke became a risk for drivers.

U.S. Forest Service workers were keeping watch on the Naches Ranger District after 85 lightning strikes were detected in the Yakima-Kittitas area during Thursday evening’s storms.

Thanks to the rain, no fires have been reported in the Wenatchee National Forest, District Ranger Randy Shepard said.

“But we’ll monitor for several days,” he said. “Something could be smoldering or holding in a dead tree, or underneath the canopy of a tree.”

Over the next few days, the Forest Service will continue watching the area, as fires may spread and become visible once the area dries up, Shepard said.

Only six of the 85 lightning strikes were classified as high fire risks, he added.

Pacific Power had restored service to most customers by Friday morning after power outages affecting about 2,000 people were reported in Harrah, Selah and Yakima, said spokesman Tom Gauntt.

— Melissa Sánchez