Updated 4:50 p.m., July 08, 2021.
A series of thunderstorms rumbled across western Montana’s Lolo National Forest Wednesday, where officials recorded over 800 lightning strikes. Firefighters are now working to suppress at least 30 new wildfires on multiple fronts.
The Lolo National Forest’s western-most portion, including the Superior and Plains-Thompson Falls Ranger Districts bore the brunt of Wednesday’s storms. Smoke from some of these fires burning near Superior and St. Regis are clearly visible from nearby Interstate 90.
Lolo National Forest Supervisor Carolyn Upton
“We have fire in proximity to some communities, but there are no immediate threats. We don’t have any evacuations right now. We are actively suppressing many fires in the area and accessing situations as they become known to us,” Upton says.