Lightning Sparks Fire At Woodbury Home

A lightning strike during Tuesday’s brief storm caused a house fire on the 2700 block of Leyland Trail in Woodbury.

The bolt hit the home’s chimney, traveled through the structure, sparked several fires inside and hit the natural gas meter, said Greg Schlichting, assistant Woodbury fire chief.

No one was home at the time of the fire, he said. One firefighter was treated for a heat-related illness at but is OK.

There was not an explosion associated with the lightning strike, Schlichting said. “More of an ignition.”

Flames went 10-15 feet high as a result of the lightning strike, he said.

arrived four minutes after the call went out a little after midday on Tuesday, Schlichting said. Crews from Oakdale and Cottage Grove also responded, and Lake Elmo firefighters helped man Woodbury stations as they battled the Leyland Trail blaze.

Neighbors saw the lightning strike and called 911, Schlichting said. The fire was under control relatively quickly, but because of the gas involved firefighters took extra precautions, he said. Xcel Energy was called in to help seal the gas meter.

At the scene on Tuesday, Schlichting said there was “significant” damage to the home, but a dollar estimate wasn’t available.

Crews were still cleaning up the scene at a little after 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Some firefighters were drinking water and Gatorade and sitting in front of a fan set up outside.