ASHTON – A lightning strike punctuated by gusty winds sparked a fire that destroyed a one-story home Tuesday morning in the village of about 970.
Ralph and Cindy Gleissner were asleep at their ranch-style home at 1900 Ashton Road, just south of state Route 110, when a thunderstorm moved through the area ahead of a cold front, the National Weather Service said.
They “were awakened by an extremely loud boom in the attic” around 12:40 a.m., Ashton volunteer fire Chief Bernard “Stub” Richter said.
Within seconds, it sounded like hail pounding the attic, but that was the noise of the wind and the flames. The Gleissners called 911, and 11 agencies responded, Richter said.
No one was injured, but given the wind, which, according to the National Weather Service, gusted 30 to 50 mph at times, it took about 4 hours to quell the fire.
“It was a big detriment to us,” Richter said.
The state fire marshal was on the scene Tuesday, and said that the fire appears to have been caused by lightning. An estimate on the value of the home, which was insured, was not available.