Possible lightning strike sparks fire at Naperville hotel, causing $8 million in damage

A hotel on Naperville’s north side was left uninhabitable and sustained an estimated $8 million in damage following a fire late Thursday.

No injuries were reported in the blaze that was reported at 11:20 p.m. on the 1800 block of West Diehl Road.

Fire officials are still investigating the cause, including whether a lightning strike might have sparked it.

The initial call was for a report of smoke inside the hotel. But responding firefighters spotted fire on the roof of the four-story building, upgrading the response and alerting other agencies for assistance.

The fire was extinguished by 1 a.m., fire officials said.

The fire caused significant damage to an area of the hotel on the upper floors, where at least one unit was completely gutted.