Incident number:  0187621         Date:  Aug. 8, 2010            Time of call: 7:39 p.m.

Time of First Unit on Scene: 7:44 p.m. (B4)        Time of Knockdown:  8:13 p.m.

Type of call:  House Fire

Correct address: 8124 W. Gilmore Ave. (Buffalo/Alexander)           CLV Ward:  4

Name: Cimarron Villas                                      Parcel: 138-09-110-024
                                
Zip:   89129                        District/Phantom: 1917-34                Number of alarms:  One

Building type: Single family-residential                Number of stories: One         Units:

Size:  1,500 sq. ft.                                                    When built:  1996
                           
Construction type: Wood frame/stucco     Smoke alarms: Yes       Sprinklers: No        

Number of occupants:  Adults: One      Teens (18-13): None       Children: None

Any injuries: None              How many : None          Type: 

Damage estimate: $200,000         Description of damage:  Extensive damage to home, roof and attic destroyed, caved into main living area of house, extensive damage to outside walls, property in house heavily damaged, car in garage damaged.

Cause of incident:  Accidental, house hit by lightning.

American Red Cross: No             Pets:  No          Status of pets:
 
General information about the incident:  Occupant was home alone and was in bed when storm came into area. She told fire investigators it started to rain very hard and then she heard a very loud crack, which she knew was lightning. A few seconds later the smoke alarms activated. She got out of bed and ran through house,  she could not see any smoke but she could smell it. She went outside to see if anything was burning and saw heavy smoke was coming from the vents of the attic.  She ran back inside the house to call 9-1-1 but the phone, electricity or nothing else worked in the house. She immediately left and went to a neighbor’s house and asked them to call 9-1-1. By then several neighbors were already calling. A short time after firefighters arrived they had to leave the interior of the house because the roof was caving in. It took firefighters approximately 30 minutes to bring the fire under control. The fire did extensive damage to the house. The fire did not extend to neighboring homes. There were no reported injuries during the incident. The last time a house was damaged by lightning was on Aug. 27, 2007 at 5 a.m. on Tamarack Landing Way. Lightning heavily damaged the attic of that house causing $50,000 in damage on a night when several severe thunderstorms caused several incidents.
 
Number of Units on Scene: 16
E45,43,6,42,9, T9, R9,45, HR44, AR1, B4,10, PIO1, 6i2, 6i7, 6i11
Number of Personnel on Scene: 41