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QuickTake:
Lightning strikes on Monday sparked fires in the southern Willamette Valley and the Cascade Range. Western Oregon has seen more thunderstorm activity than usual for this time of year.
Nearly 1,000 lightning flashes lit up Lane County on Monday, sparking new fires from Eugene into the Cascade Mountains.
The National Weather Service reported 600 cloud-to-cloud strikes and 300 to 400 cloud-to-ground strikes. Of those hitting the ground, 20 to 40 were west of Goshen and south of Eugene.
One of those is suspected of igniting the Spencer Butte fire, which forced firefighters to climb hundreds of feet to reach the smoldering forest. Oregon Department of Forestry crews worked overnight to hold it to about a quarter-acre. They continued mopping up hotspots Tuesday.
Lightning started 10 new fires Monday night in Willamette National Forest, as well as 14 others in the Umpqua National Forest since Saturday. Crews were nearby, moved in fast, and kept the fires small.
The weather has also challenged firefighting efforts on the 32,000-acre Emigrant Fire, burning 24 miles southeast of Oakridge. That fire received more than a half-inch of rain, significant for fire season, though crews said it has not eased conditions enough.
Elsewhere, rain was light. Most of the Eugene-Springfield area saw 0.01 to 0.10 inches, with the highest totals near Creswell.
More thunderstorms were possible Tuesday afternoon, developing over the mountains around midday and potentially drifting west toward Eugene and Springfield by late afternoon or evening.
While thunderstorms are common this time of year, storm activity over the Cascades has been higher than average in recent weeks, according to the weather service.
