Lightning sparks North Aurora fire
A lighting strike Wednesday night at a North Aurora house ignited the lint inside a clothes dryer vent hose, creating a small fire, authorities said.
No one was injured in the 7:30 p.m. blaze on the 200 block of Long Avenue. But the house didn't have working smoke detectors, and it could've been much worse if a woman who smelled smoke wasn't home, North Aurora Fire Capt. Todd Zies said,
"It's fortunate she was home," Zies said.
The lighting didn't strike the house. Zies believes it hit the ground and then traveled underground to the clothes dryer, which was in a first-floor laundry room.
"It was really weird," Zies said.
A damage estimate was not available.
In addition to regularly cleaning lint from dryer traps, people should remove debris from the vent hoses at least once every six months, Zies said.
The fire also should serve as a reminder for people to make sure their smoke detectors work, Zies said.