A thunder and lightning storm that rolled through the North Thompson Valley the afternoon of July 16 left a number of lightning strikes sparking fires. One such strike was on the west side of the North Thompson directly above the river and across from residences in Exlou and Louis Creek. Forestry was fast to respond, dropping a load of retardant to stop the spread of the fire, and to buy a little time while a helicopter transported a ground crew of firefighters to extinguish the blaze. Although the area had been burned in 2003 there was still enough fuel for the fire to spread thanks to the wind. However, thanks to a good pilot and the firefighters on the ground, the scene was quickly cleaned up