VIDEO: Hiker Captures the Moment a Lightning Strike Starts a Wildfire in the Sierra

A hiker witnessed a rare scene when a bolt of lightning hit the Sierra, causing an immediate wildfire. He even captured the entire event on video.

Dan Cutter was hiking to the top of Mount Rose on the eastern side of Lake Tahoe when he was able to capture video (above) of a lightning strike hitting the ground. Immediately after the strike, smoke began to rise from the area and a fire helicopter started patrolling the area quickly afterwards. The video shows how wildfire can start at any moment in the mountains of Northern California.

Here’s what Cutter wrote about the video:

Hiking up Mount Rose when a good old fashioned Sierra Thunderstorm dumped Lightning and hail for 3 hours. Unfortunately started a bunch of fires around Mount Rose and continues to effect the entire Sierra first week of July 2021. I happened to video a strike that set a fire as well as the emergency responders in a helicopter.

Watch the video above to see the intense situation on Mount Rose. Stay safe, everyone!

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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