Lightning strike leaves Columbus home with $100K damages

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) — Firefighters assisted a homeowner in Columbus Tuesday evening after their home was hit by lightning.

The Columbus Fire Department say the lightning strike happened at 8:17 p.m. at the 3700 block of Pawnee Trail. That’s a residential area near Rocky Ford Road on the north side of Columbus. The homeowner told firefighters he left the home earlier that evening and heard smoke alarms when he returned.

When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke coming from the roof, and the homeowner told them the fire was coming from the second floor. After searching the home, firefighters went to the second floor where they saw the laundry room on fire. According to a release, the fire was extinguished in ten minutes and no one else was inside the home other than two dogs who weren’t injured.

After further investigation, firefighters found that lightning struck the home which added to the cause of the fire. Investigators say the lightning damaged a gas supply line to the clothes dryer. The cause of the fire has been confirmed as natural due to it being a result of lightning striking the home, leaving the home with $100,000 worth of damages.