Garage fire caused by lightning strike on house

Fargo firefighters responded to a report of garage fire at 2528 Amber Valley Court South at 11:48 a.m. today. The caller reported that the house had been hit by lightning and the fire was noticed shortly after. The first unit arrived in about five minutes and reported a working fire in the garage based on smoke conditions from outside the house. Crews knocked most of the fire down within five minutes of the first engine’s arrival but the fire could not be completely extinguished until Cass County Electric arrived on scene to cut power to the meter because the meter was involved with the fire.

Initial reports from neighbors indicated that one of the home’s residents worked from home and that she would likely be there. As one crew attacked the fire, another crew searched the house but did not find anyone inside. Both sides of the twin home were checked for fire extension, with the only fire extension found in the half of the twin home struck by lightning. The extension was limited to some outlets on the main floor but these did not cause significant fire or smoke damage to the main floor of the house.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The cost of the damage is estimated to be about $20,000.