Family Unaware of House Fire After Lightning Strike

House fire is at least the third this week blamed on lightning

Lightning was blamed for a Thursday night house fire in Glen Ellyn, west of Chicago.

The family inside the home, in a residential area in Stratford Court near 22nd Street and Stratford Road, wasn't even aware their house was on fire until a neighbor alerted them shortly after 9:30 p.m.

"Our neighbors rang our doorbell a lot of times  ... and they were like, 'Your house is on fire! Your house is on fire!' So we all ran out," said Grace Ana.

The family is expected to return to the home once the roof is boarded up, an official from the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Department said in a statement.

No injuries were reported.

Neighboring firefighters from Addison, Carol Stream, Glenside, Lisle Woodridge, Lombard, Wheaton, Winfield and the York Center assisted in putting out the fire.

It was at least the third house fire started by lightning this week. Lightning struck a house in Wheaton Wednesday night, sparking a fire that led to injuries to three firefighters. In Schaumburg, a family who'd just moved into their home a couple of weeks ago was woken up by a lightning strike that caused severe damage.

Contact Us