The Monday evening lightning storm that surged through Idaho and Western Montana set off at least 70 new forest fires on Idaho's Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and 11 on the Bitterroot National Forest.
Lightning has caused at least nine new forest fires on the Bitterroot National Forest, according to Information Officer Tod McKay. The slow-moving storms started Sunday evening. Four fires are burning east of Hamilton in the Sapphire Mountains on the Darby Ranger District and five smaller fires are…