Lightning blamed for house fire, causes delay in response

MONCKS CORNER — Lightning appears to not have only caused a fire in the Del Webb retirement community early Wednesday, it's also believed to have been responsible for delaying firefighters' response.

Whitesville Rural Fire Chief Tim Stephenson said an antennae on top of the communications center that serves more than a dozen rural fire departments also appears to have taken a lightning strike during Wednesday morning's powerful storm, knocking out radio transmissions just as reports of a fire came in at Del Webb.

Stephenson said dispatchers resorted to the old-fashioned method of calling firefighters. Luckily, firefighters were at the station at the time.

"We just had to go wake them up," he said.

Whitesville and Pine Ridge firefighters responded to the house fire in about 14 minutes because of the interference, he said.

Witnesses said it appears lightning struck the attic and garage, causing a fire that was put out fairly quickly. Stephenson said the damage was not extensive.

He said the homeowner is staying with her son until the house is repaired.