Be Careful Out There

The violent thunderstorms that rolled through the area Thursday brought spotty precipitation to the county and a number of fires caused by the widespread lightning.

Forest Service crews got on a number of start-ups quickly in the Libby area. But as we've all learned, lightning strikes can smolder for days before a fire actually takes off.

Where we got it, the precipitation was welcome. In the McGinnis Meadows area, 1.37 inches of rain fell in 20 minutes according to weather-spotter Bill Moran. But a short distance away, it remained fairly dry along U.S. Highway 2 in that area.

Despite a wet spring, conditions in the forest have dried quickly with temperatures running 10 degrees above average. And that spring rain just insured a good crop of grasses and brush for helping fires to ignite and run.

People need to avoid stupid actions that could prove costly to themselves or their neighbors. Avoid starting open fires unless absolutely neccessary and totally controlled. Be careful running equipment in wooded areas, including trucks and cars in deep grass.

And please refrain from flicking those cigarette butts out the window of a vehicle at 60 to 70 mph. — Roger Morris