A lightning strike early Monday morning led to a fire that badly damaged a home in western Douglas County.

Lecompton Fire Chief Randy Cheek says the blaze broke out around 5:30 a.m. at a single-story home at 268 U.S. Highway 40, about three miles east of the Shawnee County line.

No injuries were reported.

“There is major damage to the structure. The roof is three-fourths gone,” Cheek said.

Firefighters from Topeka-Tecumseh, Kanwaka and Lecompton all responded. The fire was brought under control within about 45 minutes.

Cheek said some of the firefighters who lived nearby heard the thunder.

“It must have been a major lightning strike,” he said. “They said it was almost like it knocked them out of bed, it was so loud.”

Cheek said at least one of the residents was at home and was able to get a dog out of the burning house. Although smoke was filling the house, the firefighters were able to rescue three cats, who were hiding in a lower level, out to safety.

“The fire was burning from the top down,” Cheek said. “They seemed to be pretty much unharmed.”

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