Lightning strikes spark Berryessa fire

<p>Lightning was reported in several locations around Northern California late Tuesday night and was being blamed Wednesday for an 8-to-10-acre brush and timberland fire north of Lake Berryessa.</p><p>But Californians escaped the kind of fire storm that was sparked 6 1/2 weeks ago by thousands of dry lightning strikes across the northern state, authorities said.</p><p>Lightning was spotted toward the Mendocino National Forest north of Clear Lake and the Lake County communities of Upper Lake and Clearlake Oaks, a Cal Fire spokeswoman said.</p><p>Rain, especially around Lake Berryessa, helped limit the chance of fires there, authorities said.</p><p>Precipitation also followed the lightning as the storm moved north through the Sacramento Valley toward Mount Shasta and northeastern California, National Weather Service forecaster Steve Anderson said.</p><p>One fire start was located near the community of Brooks in Yolo County, along Highway 116 at County Road 80, Cal Fire Communications Operator Emily Smith said.</p><p>The fire was discovered at 11:23 p.m. Tuesday and spread to 8 or 10 acres before it was contained Wednesday morning, Cal Fire personnel said.</p><p>A Cal Fire helicopter patrolled the area Wednesday morning to locate any other fires, but there were none, Cal Fire siad.</p><p>The Konocti lookout tower in Lake County, from which lightning was spotted Tuesday night, was staffed because of forecast lightning, Smith said.</p><p>Anderson, with the National Weather Service, said the forecast called for clearing skies with cooler temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s through Tuesday.</p>