photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

LDCFM Firetruck Ladder 5 in July 2023.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical responded to over two dozen weather-related calls during Tuesday morning storms, including a structure fire caused by a lightning strike.

LDCFM crews were dispatched at approximately 6:18 a.m. Tuesday to a reported fire on the 100 block of Lawrence Avenue after receiving calls that lightning hit a residence and “smoke was visible,” according to an LDCFM press release.

The crews arrived to the scene at 6:22 a.m. and reported an active fire at a two-story house. Firefighters located the fire “on the roof and in the eaves,” according to the release, and the crews were able to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading. The fire was reported under control at approximately 6:38 a.m. The cause of the fire was determined to be a lightning strike.

According to LDCFM, the homeowner did not sustain any injuries and was not displaced because of the fire. One firefighter was evaluated and treated on scene for injuries.

This fire was one of 28 weather-related events that the department responded to during the storms that rolled through Douglas County early Tuesday morning. Those incidents included responding to electrical hazards and storm-related service calls.