Lightning starts fire on office building's roof
Fire crews extinguished a fire Thursday after lightning struck the roof of an office at 5101 Central Park Drive.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Derald Murrell said the lightning hit the roof of a building shared by Excel Development Group and Doane College. Several people were still working inside, he said, and one of them reported the strike.
No injuries were reported, Murrell said.
Witnesses living nearby said it sounded like a transformer blew at about 7:24 p.m., when the call came into fire crews. When first responders arrived three minutes later, Murrell said they saw moderate smoke exiting from the roof.
Crews entered the attic area, cut a hole in the roof to provide ventilation and got the fire under control with 20-25 minutes.
All in all, Murrell said, it was a pretty routine beginning to a night of thunderstorms.
“This is something we deal with all the time,” he said.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Derald Murrell said the lightning hit the roof of a building shared by Excel Development Group and Doane College. Several people were still working inside, he said, and one of them reported the strike.
No injuries were reported, Murrell said.
Witnesses living nearby said it sounded like a transformer blew at about 7:24 p.m., when the call came into fire crews. When first responders arrived three minutes later, Murrell said they saw moderate smoke exiting from the roof.
Crews entered the attic area, cut a hole in the roof to provide ventilation and got the fire under control with 20-25 minutes.
All in all, Murrell said, it was a pretty routine beginning to a night of thunderstorms.
“This is something we deal with all the time,” he said.
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