Lightning Strike Causes Switch Grass Lane House Fire

A lightning strike appears to have caused a house fire overnight in the 5400 block of Switch Grass Lane. The residents were able to safely evacuate the home and nobody was injured fighting the fire, according to the Naperville Fire Department.

Crews responded to a 911 call that came in at 12:42 a.m. and upon arrival they confirmed there was fire in the attic and the eaves of the home, according to a news release from Bureau Chief Mark Thurow.

Responders, which included 22 personnel with nine pieces of apparatus, had the fire under control within 30 minutes, though thunderstorms hampered the fire crew’s efforts, according to Thurow. Firefighters remained at the home for another 90 minutes searching to make sure the fire had not spread through the walls or ceiling.

The fire was determined to be caused by a lightning strike, Thurow said in the news release. Damage to the home was in excess of $300,000 and city inspectors determined that the home is uninhabitable.