A fire lights up the sky in the 500 block of Alton Drive, Greenwood. Fire officials say a lightning strike caught the home on fire Thursday just before 5 p.m. Photos provided by GFD
A Thursday evening fire is said to have been caused by a lightning strike.
Amidst an afternoon thunderstorm, the Greenwood Fire Department was called out at 4:56 p.m. to a home in the 500 block of Alton Drive for a report of a structure fire.
Initial reports advised the garage and side of the house were on fire. At 4:59 p.m. Greenwood’s Engine 93 arrived first on scene and was met with fire coming from the roof. They immediately started fighting the fire, according to a press release from Greenwood Fire.
By 5:10 p.m. crews on scene reported a partial collapse of the garage roof. The fire was under control by 5:51 p.m., officials say.
Upon initial investigation, Greenwood fire officials believe the fire was started by a lightning strike, the release says.
Luckily, residents of the home had already been evacuated safely by the time the roof collapsed. Additionally, no department personnel were injured in the fire, officials say.
The Greenwood Fire was assisted by the White River Township Fire Department and the American Red Cross.
