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Firefighters respond to two calls due to storm
Maps
Updated: July 24, 2012 3:00PM
WESTERN SPRINGS — Clean-up continues at two Western Springs homes where lightning struck one house and a downed wired sparked a garage fire following a fierce storm late July 18 and early the next morning.
Gary Mayor, administrative officer for the Fire Department, said residents of a home at 4233 Rose Ave. smelled smoke and called at 10:10 p.m. when a powerful storm blew through the area, knocking down power lines and interrupting service in several parts of town.
“It looks like lightning hit a tree next door and jumped to the house. There was damage to the roof and a finished room upstairs, but there was no fire damage,” Mayor said. “There was a hole in the room and it knocked some plaster down.”
Power returned to the Forest Hills area about 12:15 a.m., when downed wires became live while laying across and next to a garage at 4806 Fair Elms Ave.
ComEd was notified, and firefighters from a distance began spraying portions of the garage away from the wires to protect the structure and the house, Mayor said. The garage caught fire and was heavily damaged before ComEd crews were able to shut off power at 2 a.m. for firefighters to strike the blaze.
“It was a nightmare for us,” Mayor said. “We couldn’t go in an completely put the fire out until ComEd completely shut it down at 2 a.m.”
Damage to the garage, its contents and a car inside is estimated at $60,000, Mayor said. The house wasn’t damaged.
Electrical service remained off in the Forest Hills area until 6 p.m., Mayor said.
No one was injured in the two incidents. An estimate of damage to the home struck by lightning wasn’t available.
