Lightning fires are not considered an important problem in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean region, where lightning is a minor cause of fire. On the southern slopes of the Alps, however, lighting fires are common enough during the summer months to cause relevant costs for their control. In this contribution, we discuss some general features concerning the lighting-generating thunderstorms, starting of the fire, fire behaviour and fire extinction, especially in the valley Aosta (Italy) and in the Canton Ticino (Switzerland).