Lightning May Be Behind Joliet Condo Fire

By Anthonia Akitunde in Miscellaneous on Jul 26, 2009 4:45PM

A fire on the west side of Joliet destroyed a four-unit condo and left two couples homeless Saturday morning, according to the Herald.

While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, a lightning strike may have started the fire, authorities said.

Most of the fire was located in the condo’s attic and moved into two condo units at the top of the building. There were four people in those top two units and no one in the bottom units, said Battalion Chief Ron Schroeder. A couple from the building reported hearing a “booming noise, and had seen the power go out” but didn’t realize there was a fire in the building.

According to the report, the blaze rendered the building “uninhabitable.” One couple is staying with their relatives while the other couple needed help finding a place to stay from the Red Cross.

[Herald]