Frequent lightning in Washington poses wildfire threat

SEATTLE — The National Weather Service is closely monitoring frequent lightning activity across Washington state this week, identifying it as the primary threat for sparking new wildfires.

"Big lightning days where we get like hundreds or thousands of strikes, that's usually this time of year," said NWS meteorologist Logan Howard.

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That pattern held over the weekend, when about 1,700 lightning strikes were recorded statewide, including roughly 500 in western Washington. The activity ignited more than a dozen new fires in the Cascades , officials said.

“Lightning is random. It oftentimes is way out in the wilderness on ridge lines and, you know, deep valleys within the Cascades or the Olym