Lighting up the skies

BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Lightning streaks through the sky above Washoe Lake on Friday evening. The thunderstorm ignited 15-20 new fires throughout the region. High humidity and the heavy rain that accompanied the lightning limited the burn-areas to about 10 acres in all, according to the Sierra Front Web site. "The thundershowers can be a blessing or a curse," said John Arneson, information officer for Sierra Front Interagency Overhead Team, who is working the Jackass Fire in Douglas, Lyon, and Mono counties. "We get the rain, but we get the wind and the lightning, too." For an update on the Jackass fire ignited by lightning last week, see page A4.