Lightning Blamed in Two Orland Fires

A pair of lightning strikes are believed to have sparked two fires Wednesday morning in Orland Park.

Both strikes happened within about 10 minutes of each other during a morning thunderstorm, according to one Orland fire official.

The more severe of the two fires happened at about 9 a.m. to a home in the 9000 block of Fairway Drive. Lightning appeared to have struck a corner of the roof, igniting a fire in the attic.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the attic and used tarps to protect furniture and other items inside the home, said Battalion Chief Dan Smith of the Orland Fire Protection District.

At least one person was home when the fire started, Smith said. No one was injured.

An earlier lightning strike hit a home on Cheswick Drive, Smith said. The strike did not cause a significant amount of damage.

Looking for more news?

• Board Members Clash Over Park School Incident and More (Live Blog)
• Body Pulled from Palos Heights Lake is Missing Crestwood Man (Update)
• Four Challengers Unseat Three D135 Incumbents
• Orland Park 2013 Spring Election Results
• Election Central: Orland Park 2013 Spring Election

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are plenty of ways to keep up on local news:

• Join Patch. Sign up for a user account and converse with your neighbors.
• Like Orland Park Patch on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.