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Two homes catch fire in storm

A reported lightning strike caused a fire that damaged a house at 7293 Weather Vane Way in Westchester Twp, Butler County, Ohio.

Gary Stelzer/MIDDLETOWN JOURNAL A reported lightning strike caused a fire that damaged a house at 7293 Weather Vane Way in Westchester Twp, Butler County, Ohio.

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By Lindsey Hilty, Staff Writer Updated 12:09 PM Friday, June 26, 2009

Two homes caught fire last night in West Chester Twp. and power to traffic lights along Ohio 747 were out this morning, Friday, June 26.

Also, as of noon today, thousands of West Chester Twp. residents and hundreds of Liberty Township residents were without power. Duke Energy reported 5693 outages in Butler County.

The first fire hit at around midnight, according to West Chester Twp. spokeswoman Barb Wilson. Neighbors called the fire department with reports of a lightning strike to a private residence at 6810 Woodbridge. The homeowners apparently were on vacation and the home was vacant. There was heat and fire damage to the second floor, and water damage to the first floor estimated at around $150,00 to $200,000.

The second lightning strike hit a home at 2 a.m. at 7293 Weathervane Way. The vacant condominium, close to Hamilton-Mason Road, had flames shooting through the roof when neighbors called the fire department. A truck was still on the scene at 8 a.m., Wilson said. The unoccupied building fire was extinguished and there were no injuries, she said. It was a total loss.

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