Storm-Related Fire Does $5,000 in Damage to Area House

An early morning house fire possibly sparked by a lightning strike did about $5,000 in damage to a Plainfield Township home not far from Oswego, fire officials said today.

The fire began at about 4 a.m. at the lower roof line of the two-story frame home at 6239 Southfield Lane, just off Plainfield Road near Ridge, according to Lt. Scott Moore of the .

"We're not 100 percent sure what caused it," Moore said, "but we think lightning may have hit the gutter area, causing it to heat up and slightly extend into the attic."

The homeowner saw a light hazy smoke in the house and called the fire department, he said. The fire was knocked down quickly and damage was limited to the roof area and a bathroom and bedroom below it, Moore said. There was also water damage to a first-floor bathroom, he said.

There were no injuries and the house remains habitable, he said.

"I think our firefighters did a good job of controlling it quickly," Moore said, especially since it was in a location that does not have a fire hydrant.

He added that fighting the fire is particularly dangerous during a lightning storm because firefighters are unable to use a metal ladder, which could act as a lightning rod.