LAFAYETTE PARISH — A lightning strike from a morning storm ignited a fire that damaged one home and caused structural damage to another in Lafayette on Friday.
Fire crews responded around 10:08 a.m. to a report of a house fire in the 100 block of Orchard Park Avenue, where flames were seen coming from the roof of a two-story residence. Witnesses say the fire began shortly after a lightning strike.
According to Lafayette Fire Department officials, multiple 911 callers reported heavy smoke coming from the home. Firefighters arrived within minutes and quickly deployed crews—including an aerial ladder truck—to attack the blaze.
Flames had engulfed the roof of the structure by the time firefighters arrived. Emergency crews entered the home and accessed the attic, where the fire is believed to have started. Officials say the fire was brought under control within 15 minutes.
No one was inside the home at the time of the fire. Construction workers building a nearby house said they saw the lightning strike and then noticed smoke rising from the affected property.
The under-construction home, located two houses down, also sustained structural damage as a result of the lightning strike. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
Lafayette authorities confirmed the lightning strike from the morning storm was the cause of both the fire and secondary structural damage.
