Hot flash

A U.S. Forest Service helicopter scoops water from Banks Lake Tuesday evening to fight a 200-acre brush fire near Barker Canyon. The fire erupted following a massive thunderstorm that hit the region about 3 a.m. and struck the state more than 6,000 times with lightning. Douglas County Fire District 3 Chief Dale Rinker said the fire was controlled but not contained Tuesday night, thanks to ”a lot of good work from a lot of good firefighters.” District 3 was joined by District 5, Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee, Electric City, Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Land Management in the fight using more than 60 firefighters.