Lightning strikes cause of 3 Joliet house fires

The Joliet Fire Department responded to three residential fires within the span of about an hour, and all were caused by lightning strikes Thursday afternoon.

At 3:39 p.m., crews responded to a residence in the 2700 block of Hideaway Court for a report of a possible structure fire with smoke due to a lightning strike, the fire department said.

The first units arrived within three minutes of the call and saw smoke and fire in the attic of a two-story single-family residence, the fire department said.

Residents were able to get out of the house before firefighters arrived, the fire department said.

Crews from stations 6, 8, 9 and 10 were at the scene and were able to contain and extinguish the fire in the attic area, the fire department said. Crews remained at the scene for an hour.

At 4:49 p.m., another call came in for a possible structure fire with smoke due to a lightning strike in the 1200 block of Riverview Drive, the fire department said. The first units arrived within five minutes of the call.

Crews found smoke and fire in the attic of a two-story multifamily townhome, the fire department said. Residents got out of the building safely before firefighters arrived, the fire department said.

The fire was contained and extinguished in the attic area, but a neighboring unit was damaged by smoke and water, the fire department said.

While at the scene, crews noticed smoke coming from the roof of two-story single-family home in the same block of Riverview Drive. They were able to extinguish an attic fire, but the home sustained smoke and water damage, the fire department said.

Crews from stations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 responded and remained at the scene for about an hour, the fire department said.

No injuries or fatalities were reported from any of the three fires, the department said.