Aug. 09--Lightning sparked at least 17 new wildfires in the Boise and Payette National Forests Thursday-and officials say they expect more.
In the Boise National Forest, 13 fires had been discovered by 8 p.m. Thursday, and the Payette National Forest had four.
Boise National Forest Spokesman David Olson said crews would likely uncover more Friday when they perform aerial detection flights over the area. The wildfires were scattered throughout the forest, with a higher concentration east of Garden Valley and Deadwood Boulevard.
Olson said the fires were all less than one acre last night, and were not threatening any structures. The forest has deployed engines, helicopters and smokejumper teams in an attempt to quell the blazes before they spread.
Dry conditions and heavy lightning made the area ripe for additional starts, he said, urging those in the area to obey fire restrictions to avoid any new human-caused fires. Stage 1 fire restrictions prohibit campfires anywhere but in a designated campsite.
In the Payette National Forest, four new fire starts followed Thursday's lightning storm. Two were reported east of McCall, one on Granite Mountain, and one in the Weiser Ranger District. A spokesman for the forest said he expected to crews to discover additional new fires as well.
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