Lightning suspected of causing house fire on far West Side

SAN ANTONIO – A lightning strike is blamed for a house fire Monday night near Alamo Ranch and Alamo Parkway on the far West Side.

The call comes on the heels of four similar incidents last month during a span of 19 minutes when another storm hit the area.

Bexar-Bulverde Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Bialick said while not much can be done to prevent a lightning strike, residents can take some precautions to prevent a large fire from occurring.

Bialick said since lightning hits roofs most of the time, it’s a good idea to keep items in the attic to a minimum. Keeping attics free of items helps firefighters from battling a huge blaze.

“Typically, we find that the damage resulting from lightning is most heavenly concentrated in the attic. It’s kind of natural where the lightening hits,” Bialick said.

Bialick said the first thing firefighters do when they arrive at a structure fire is shut off the utilities.

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