Lightning sparks Addison house fire

An Addison home was damaged Monday evening after it was struck by lightning.

Addison firefighters responded to the call at just before 7 p.m. for a home on the 1400 block of West Byron Avenue that had been struck by lightning, Addison Deputy Chief Scott Walker said.

Firefighters - who were nearby on Lake Street responding to a fire alarm in a vacant building that had been triggered by a leaky roof from the heavy rains - were able to respond in about a minute and a half.

Because they were so close, damage was limited to the attic and three rooms in the upper level of the tri-level home, Walker said.

"The house will be lived in again," he said.

A neighbor witnessed the lightning strike, while the homeowners heard the noise and saw fire in an upstairs before evacuating the house safely, fire officials said.

Walker estimated the damage at about $100,000, with the estimated total value of the house at $400,000.

Firefighters from Elmhurst, Glenside, Lombard and Villa Park assisted.