On Anne Road in Naperville, a lightning bolt found its mark on a single-family home, igniting a fire that caused the occupants to quickly evacuate. Naperville's emergency services were quick to respond.
According to an official report from the city of Naperville, it was 4:34 a.m. when a resident called the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), stating that their home had been struck by lightning and appeared to be ablaze. Naperville 911 dispatched a general alarm assignment that consisted of ten fire apparatus units and 24 personnel, including an incident commander and incident safety officer to the reported address.
In just six minutes, the first vehicle arrived at the scene, discovering a tree that had fallen and sheared off a power line. This event caused the line to arc against the aluminum siding, sparking multiple small fires in the walls of the home. Confirming the residents' safe evacuation, the fire companies quickly stretched hose lines in their tireless efforts to contain the destruction.
However, these attempts initially proved to be futile, as fire suppression was delayed while waiting for the dangerously energized power line to be de-energized at the pole. Through unwavering determination, the Naperville Fire Department finally declared the fire under control at 5:57 a.m. and remained on site for another 30 minutes to ensure all hot spots were thoroughly extinguished.
As reported on a Naperville's official Facebook post, thankfully, no injuries were sustained by any occupants or firefighters during this ravenous display of nature's force. Furthermore, the Naperville Police and Electric departments assisted on the scene, while station coverage was provided by the Bolingbrook and Wheaton fire departments.
