MISSOULA — All the way from Sula to Whitefish, wildfire activity lit up Saturday afternoon —brought on by strong thunderstorms and lightning.
Throughout the night, severe thunderstorms were expected across the Bitterroot and Missoula valleys.
The latest report came just before 9 p.m. from the Ravalli County Sheriff's Office about a fire east of Corvallis.
The U.S. Forest Service was notified and resources were already on the scene in the area of Corvallis Hills Drive and Willow Mountain.
Earlier, around 4:30 p.m., the Ravalli County Sheriff's Office received numerous calls about a lightning strike that sparked a fire near mile marker 17 on U.S. Highway 93.
The Sheriff's Office notified the Forest Service and had units respond, according to a press release.
Less than three hours later, the Discover Bitterroot National Facebook page announced that lightning had sparked six new fires across the southern side of the Bitterroot National Forest.
The fires, located in the Darby-Sula and West Fork Ranger Districts, were all small and under five acres.
Western Montana isn't out of the woods yet.
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Missoula and Ravalli counties.
The warning is in effect until 9:45 p.m. Saturday. Lightning, hail and winds were expected with the latest round of storms.
