COLUMBUS — A lightning strike was to blame for a large apartment fire in Columbus on Sunday evening.
According to a report from the Columbus Fire Department, the call came in around 5:45 p.m. Sunday on report of smoke coming from a building at Stonegate Apartments, 380 Wint Lane.
When firefighters arrived, the found flames coming from the roof of a two-story apartment building and the occupants of the building evacuating.
The fire department said firefighters attempted an aggressive interior attack to the second floor, however, low visibility and high heat forced firefighters to pull out of the building and fight the fire defensively. It took firefighters approximately two hours to get the blaze under control. A number of off-duty firefighters were called in to assist.
Officials with the fire department spoke with apartment property officials to coordinate emergency housing for 18 residents who were displaced as a result of the fire. Twelve apartment units were damaged as a result of the fire. No injuries were reported.
On Monday, the Columbus Fire Department announced investigators determined the fire was the result of a lightning strike.
According to a news release, investigators found the fire originated in the attic space above the second story living space. Heavy fire damage caused portions of the roof to collapse onto the ceiling above the second floor apartment units.
