Lightning strikes started four fires in the Methow River in the American state of Washington, collectively known as the Carlton Complex Fire.

The Methow River is a tributary of the Columbia River in northern Washington in the United States. The river's 1,890-square-mile (4,900 km²) watershed drains the eastern North Cascades, with a population of about 5,000 people. The Methow's watershed is characterized by relatively pristine habitats, as much of the river basin is located in national forests and wildernesses. Many tributaries drain the large Pasayten Wilderness. An earlier economy based on agriculture is giving way to one based on recreation and tourism.

The Carlton Complex Fire was a massive wildfire in north central Washington which burned 256,108 acres (1,036.4 km²) during the 2014 Washington wildfire season. It began on July 14, 2014, as four separate lightning-caused fires in the Methow Valley which merged into one by July 18. The complex destroyed 353 homes in and around the towns of Pateros and Brewster, as well as rural Okanogan County. The fire caused an estimated $98 million in damages. The Carlton Complex remains the largest single wildfire in Washington state history, surpassing the 1902 Yacolt Burn.