No one was injured when a house caught on fire after lightning struck a nearby tree in Winthrop Harbor Tuesday morning, fire officials said.
The Winthrop Harbor Fire Department responded around 6:28 a.m. Monday to the 2300 block of 3rd Street for a report of smoke in the area.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Chief Justin Stried said that fire crews arrived and found heavy smoke from a residence. Firefighters were at the scene for over two hours while fire suppression, overhaul and cleanup operations took place.
“It should be noted that initial arriving fire crews made a great stop on the fire and essentially saved the home from further and complete damage,” Stried said.
All residents were uninjured and accounted for during the fire, which caused between $50,000 and $75,000 in damage to the structure and contents, fire officials said.
The fire was caused by lightning that struck a nearby tree, causing heat and electricity to transfer to the base of the home, Stried said.
“Some fire situations are unavoidable, such as a lightning strike during a thunderstorm. However, it’s important to point out that everyone should have an escape plan in place in the event your home catches fire. You may only have seconds to act when determining there is a problem and you or your family need to quickly evacuate,” the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department said.
Firefighters from Beach Park, Newport, Zion and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin assisted at the scene.