A senior apartment complex in Sylmar was struck by a lightning bolt on Thursday afternoon, leading to a fire that quickly consumed a palm tree and threatened the adjacent two-story structure, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded promptly to the blaze at the Sylmar Villas in the 15800 block of West Larkspur Street.
The fire department deployed 36 firefighters who managed to extinguish the flames in under 30 minutes, according to updates from LAFD's official alerts and further confirmed by ABC7. The effort was efficient, preventing the fire from spreading beyond the building's side and the adjacent brush. Crews were able to contain the fire to just the side of the building and nearby brush, allowing residents to breathe a collective sigh of relief as no injuries were reported.
As detailed by LAFD's initial alert, the incident was designated as INC#1165 and occurred around 4:00 p.m., with preliminary reports indicating vegetation ignited by the strike. Brian Humphrey of the LAFD stated in an update, "This non-injury fire was confirmed to have been ignited by lightning."
Weather officials had warned of dangerous lightning and potential flash flooding due to thunderstorms sweeping through the region.
