Lightning likely cause of predawn Winfield house fire

An early morning house fire that broke out Friday in Winfield likely was caused by a lightning strike, authorities said.

No people were at home when the blaze started on the 400 block of Summit Drive, and no injuries were reported.

The fire was so intense that much of the stately, Tudor-style structure was destroyed and is uninhabitable, officials noted.

Winfield Fire Protection District crews and Winfield police responded to the emergency at about 3 a.m. Multiple area fire departments helped at the scene.

An unattached rental unit on the property was unscathed by the fire but its utilities were affected.

Damage estimates were not yet available and no official cause of the fire has been listed by the fire protection district. It’s unclear if any pets were in the home.