During a recent storm, a house located in the Rolling Meadows Estates was struck by lightning.
The resident heard the storm and opened the patio door to see if the umbrella was down. She saw the flash and heard the noise knowing lightening had hit close by.
After walking back into the house the electric went off and she went to get a flashlight. As she walked past the stairs she looked up and saw flames in the attic through a grate in the ceiling. She and her daughter got out of the house as well as the next door neighbors in twinplex-style residence. No one was injured.
It is believed that the lightening came through the top of the house at the highest peak, went out and through the next peak and then into a third which would be the lowest peak. The bolt is believed to end in the living room.
Some of the houses in this development have the air handlers for the air conditioning in the attic. Instead of sheet metal ductwork flexible pipes, much like your dryer vent is used to run the cool air to the rooms.
“We speculate that the lightening hit one of those pipes. They have a metal wire running through them. The lightening ran through that wire igniting everything it touched,” said Springfield Fire Captain Steve Simich.
Firefighters could not get into the attic because it was too unstable. They were unable to see where the lightening hit the ground.
Amazingly, the lightning struck just one side of the dwelling causing only smoke damage to the other side.
It is estimated to be $150,000 worth of damage.
“I have never seen lightening take the whole side of a house out like this did,” said Simich. “Usually a lightening strike will cause fire or smoldering in the area where it hit. The guys did a good job getting this out and saved the majority of her things.”
Springfield TWP, Ohio —
