Lightning causes multiple fires around state

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Crews were battling multiple fires around the state caused by heavy lightning activity during thunderstorms that passed through northern Utah on Monday afternoon.

The Northern Utah Interagency Fire Center reported four fires started between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Monday, though most of them were small and easily contained.

The one exception was the Shanty Canyon Fire on Stansbury Island, which had grown to about 350 acres by Monday night, according to the center's assistant manager Sean Lodge. The storm that passed through the island was heavy on lightning but did not carry enough rain to temper the fire, Lodge said. Despite the fire's growth, officials say no structures were threatened Monday.

Three much smaller fires also were reported elsewhere in the state. The Grid Fire near Riverton grew to eight acres but was about 75 percent contained by Monday evening. Another fire caused by a lightning strike on Y Mountain in Provo was less than an acre on Monday night. The Hollow North fire, which started north of Johnson Pass in Tooele County, grew to about 5 acres Monday night.