UPDATE--2PM

A new fire on Chelan Butte is now fully contained and in mop up stage.  Mark Donnell, Deputy Chief with Lake Chelan Fire and Rescue said the fire burned about 50 acres of grass and sage.

Donnell said Lake Chelan Fire and Rescue, Forest Service, Department of Natural Resources and the Bureau of Land Management were supported by water drops from Lake Chelan and the Columbia River.  A tanker was also ordered to drop retardant on the fire.   Structure protection was put in place as a precaution near the Chelan River Gorge Road but Donnell said homes were not threatened.

Donnell believes the fire was likely the result of lightning strikes from this morning "It was probably smoldering but just hadn't ignited enough just because it hadn't been warm enough and dry enough"

UPDATE--12 Noon

Firefighters were called back to the the Chelan Butte area around 11:45am where a brush fire was sparked by lightning earlier this morning.  Water drops have been ordered from the Columbia River and Lake Chelan.  RiverCom reports fire crews are in place to provide structure protection.  There are no evacuation alerts at this time from Chelan County Emergency Management.

ORIGINAL POST

The National Weather Service recorded nearly two dozen lightning strikes early this morning between Wenatchee and Brewster.

Jim Duck, Coordinator at Central Washington Interagency Communications Center (CWICC) said firefighters have responded on two small fires.  One fire is located on the Chelan Butte and was reported at 3/4ths of an acre. The other was across the Columbias River in Douglas County near Green Road and was confined to a single tree according to Duck.

Duck said it's possible more fires could spring to life, "There is always an opportunity for a fire to smolder a little bit and not show themselves until the heat of the day so we will be on the lookout for any new starts throughout the day and even for the next couple of days"

A report of a fire start near the Lake Chelan Golf Course turned out to be a false alarm

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