The cause of the Express Fire that started behind the Clearwater River Casino is determined to have been caused by lightning striking a power pole, according to a Facebook post on the Nez Perce Tribe's page by the Nez Perce Tribe Forestry & Fire Management Division.
The fire started Sunday, July 17 at about 11:15 p.m.
The power pole was located at the top of Central Grade. The fire spread quickly downslope to the southeast pushed by strong northwest winds, officials said.
In the end, the fire burned about 1700 acres and two outbuildings.
Responding agencies were Nez Perce Tribe Forestry and Fire Management, Idaho Department of Lands, Wheatland Fire, Lapwai Fire, Nez Perce County Fire, CPTPA, and the U.S. Forest Service.