Posts Tagged lightning causes house fire

Storms keep fire departments busy

This from Martin Nowak:

This picture was taken by someone for me. During the storms on 4/17/2013 around 5 P.M. near the intersection of 77th Street and Roberts Road in Bridgeview, lightning struck a transformer.

 

transformer struck by lightning

Transformer fire in Bridgeview.

This from Larry Shapiro:

Buffalo Grove firefighters were called to 414 Manchester Court just before 3PM for a reported structure fire. An apparent lightning strike caused a fire on the building’s exterior that extended slightly into the second floor. Here are a few images from the scene.

 

Buffalo Grove Fire Department

A firefighter strips facia from a ladder. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove lightning strike

Damage was to the outside of the building. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department

Engine 26 was first on the scene and had two lines off. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department

Buffalo Grove Engine 26 on a hydrant. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove Fire Department

Buffalo Grove Quint 27 going to the roof. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove lightning strike

Squad 26 and Tower 25. Larry Shapiro photo

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Several storm related fires

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.

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