Lightning sparks fire in Woodridge home

WOODRIDGE – A lightning bolt sparked a fire in a two-story home Monday night in Woodridge.

About 8:04 p.m., a fire was reported in a single-family home at 8210 Lemont Road in Woodridge, according to a release from the Darien-Woodridge Fire District.

Firefighters encountered smoke and heavy fire on the second floor, but were able to put out the fire in about 30 minutes, the release said.

However, due to the location of the fire, crews were forced to cut holes in the roof to ventilate the smoke, the release said.

An occupant of the home told fire crews he was on the first floor during a heavy thunderstorm when he heard a loud noise and discovered smoke in a second-floor bedroom, the release said.

Emergency crews remained on the scene for more than two hours doing overhaul and investigating the cause of the fire, which they believe was due to a lightning strike, the release said.

Initial damage was estimated at $50,000 and the home will be uninhabitable for some time, the release said. No one was injured.

Firefighters from the Lisle-Woodridge, Downers Grove, Tri-State, Lemont and Pleasantview fire departments also responded to the scene.