Does Lightning Cause House Fires?

10/9/2019 (Permalink)

If a lightning fire strikes in your home, do your best to stay safe and get the help you need

Severe storms in La Grange, IL  can cause all kinds of trouble, including flooding, wind damage and even fire damage. There are precautions that can be taken to help prevent or minimize these types of damage, but due to the unpredictability factor of a lightning fire, you may do better to learn what should be done to stay safe in the event lightning strikes your home.

Things To Do Before and After a Strike

Because of the random nature of lightning, there are few preventive measures that can be taken to reduce the risk or the shock of a sudden lightning fire. There are a few things however that should be done immediately following a strike. Here are some guidelines for both.

Trim bushes and tree branches away from the house and roof to reduce the risk of a blaze spreading from foliage that may catch on fire
Have a lightning rod professionally installed to draw lighting safely away from the house
Turn off water, lights and other heavy draws on household electricity to reduce the attraction
Following a strike, the first priority is to make sure everyone gets out of the house
Once people are safely out, call 911 to get the fire department on its way, then alert next door neighbors so they can watch their homes

Don’t Go it Alone

A house fire is started by lightning over 22,000 times each year in the United States. Deaths or serious injuries and heavy property damage frequently accompany such a fire. If a strike does hit and start a blaze in your home, the first thing to do is to get out and call for help. Once the flames are out, it would be most helpful to call the fire and water restoration professionals in La Grange, IL  to come and assist with fire damage cleanup. There may be a good deal of structural damage as lightning burns fast and hot, so get the help you need.

Take any preventive steps you can to prevent a disaster in an electrical storm. If a lightning fire strikes in your home, do your best to stay safe and get the help you need.