LAFAYETTE PARISH, LA — A lightning strike from a morning storm ignited a fire in Lafayette Parish on Friday, damaging one home and causing structural issues to a nearby under-construction residence.
At approximately 10:08 a.m., fire crews responded to reports of a house fire in the 100 block of Orchard Park Avenue. Witnesses reported seeing flames coming from the roof of a two-story home shortly after a lightning strike hit the area.
Multiple 911 calls were received, alerting authorities to heavy smoke billowing from the residence. The Lafayette Fire Department responded quickly, arriving within minutes of the initial reports. Crews immediately deployed to battle the blaze, utilizing an aerial ladder truck to combat the growing flames.
By the time firefighters reached the scene, the fire had already engulfed the roof. The fire was believed to have originated in the attic, and emergency teams quickly entered the home to assess the situation. Firefighters brought the fire under control within 15 minutes of their arrival.
Fortunately, no one was inside the home at the time of the incident. Construction workers working on a nearby house reported seeing the lightning strike and then noticing smoke rising from the affected property.
In addition to the fire, the nearby under-construction home, located just two houses down, sustained structural damage as a result of the lightning strike. However, no injuries were reported in connection with either the fire or the storm-related damage.
The Lafayette Fire Department confirmed that the fire and secondary damage to the construction site were both caused by the lightning strike during the morning storm.
Authorities are continuing to assess the damage, but they emphasized that the quick response from firefighters helped prevent further destruction.