Bloomington duplex struck by lightning, causes roof cave-in

Around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Bloomington Fire Department was dispatched to a duplex at 2610 E. Windermere Woods Drivr, where a thunderstorm is believed to have caused a roof to cave in.

Duty battalion chief Roger Kerr described the fire's cause as a "potential lightning strike," though an official inspection is required before that can be confirmed. When city firefighters arrived, the Bloomington Police Department was already assisting at the scene. The homeowners were evacuated safely with no injuries reported.

According to Kerr, the fire began at the center wall shared between the residences of 2610 and 2612, where it soon spread rapidly in the attic area. While 2610 had minor fire damage, the 2612 residence's roof was severely burnt, with "the ceiling falling down inside the residence," Kerr said.

Once the fire was fully extinguished, the fire department's last units left the scene around 1 p.m. This is the first and only report of fire damage caused by the storm, with firefighters remaining ready to respond should other emergencies arise.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: No injuries reported in Bloomington duplex fire, lightning to blame