Are Fireball and Firestorm supposed to trigger lightning thorns?

I have a dead hardcore toon after a bunch of black guards with lightning thorns walked through a firestorm and killed me.

My understanding was that lightning thorns was a melee reflect?

I have releveled another toon and verified. Big groups of lightning thorned mobs also reflect splashed fireballs for wicked damage.

Anyone have any advice on good strats to avoid killing yourself on normal dif act 3 when you dont have life leech?

Lightning Thorns is an any-hit reflect. It deals damage to you any time you hit the enemy, whether it is by a spell, melee attack, projectile attack.

Since it is by the hit, the agreed-upon method for fighting enemies with lightning thorns is to use abilities with slower attack/cast speed, attacking or casting less frequently, or just avoid hitting them.

It used to be melee attacks only a while back.
It was changed to damaging on any kind of hit, attack or spell, melee or ranged.

Best way I found to deal with these guys are traps (Lightning or fire) since it does not reflect damages. Imo I think this buff is everything but thoughtful... :( I had to run through the map without bothering killing mobs (in merc) with all my char.
The ratio of the reflect tends to be 1/1 which is way too high (impossible to confirm since we have no combat log).