South Bend house fire possibly caused by lightning

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A house fire on South Bend’s north side Tuesday afternoon was likely caused by a lightning strike, fire officials said.

Crews with the South Bend Fire Department responded just before 1 p.m. to a home in the 1000 block of North Notre Dame Avenue, where flames were reported in the attic. No one was inside the home at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported.

Battalion Chief Matt Willoughby said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but early indications point to a lightning strike due to weather conditions and witness reports.

“Given the weather and the witnesses, they were thinking that it could be a lightning strike that caused the fire,” Willoughby said.

Willoughby, who was the first to arrive on scene, said the department response was quick and the fire was under control in under ten minutes.

While lightning-related house fires are uncommon, Willoughby urged residents to be prepared, especially during the spring storm season.

“You just never know,” he said. “Have a plan for evacuating your home, have a meeting place, make sure your smoke detectors are installed properly.”

He also recommended replacing smoke detector batteries when clocks change for daylight saving time.