Lighting from the recent heavy thunderstorm activity was blamed for several area suburban fires. Glencoe, Deerfield, Mt. Prospect, Elgin, and Naperville all had fires during the overnight storms. Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune articles describe the fires.
Two house fires, in Glencoe and Deerfield, early Saturday morning appeared to be caused by lightning strikes from the heavy thunderstorms that passed through the Chicago area Saturday morning, and a third blaze at a Mt. Prospect apartment complex could also be lightning-related.
The Glencoe home in the 500 block of Lincoln Avenue was a “total loss” …
… a Saturday morning fire that forced a Deerfield family from its home and resulted in one firefighter being hospitalized. The injured firefighter suffered chest pains and was taken to Highland Park Hospital and was in good condition … The Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District got a call about 2:01 a.m., arrived at the scene about three minutes later and had the fire out soon thereafter.
The Mt. Prospect fire, which drew firefighters from 16 different departments, was at the Colonial Green apartments, a 39-unit structure at 2024 W. Algonquin Road. The fire destroyed the attic and part of the third floor, (Mt. Prospect Fire Chief John) Malcolm said. All 75 of the building’s occupants got out of the building ..
Lightning also struck the steeple at Vineyard Christian Church, 200 Division St., in Elgin, Saturday morning, according to a news release from the Elgin Fire Department.
A lightning strike spawned by a severe thunderstorm started a fire that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to a Naperville home but injured no one …
The compete articles can be found HERE and HERE which cover these fires in more detail.
