Lightning strike likely cause of house fire in Elmhurst

A home was most likely struck by lightning before it caught fire in west suburban Elmhurst early Monday after storms ripped through Cook and DuPage counties, authorities said.

Firefighters who responded about 12:40 a.m. to the home in the 900 block of South Saylor found fire in the attic above the garage, the Elmhurst Fire Department said in a statement.

It was extinguished within a half-hour with the help of crews from York Center, Villa Park and Oak Brook Terrace, the fire department said. No one was injured.

The fire caused about $11,000 in damages and was likely started by a lightning strike, the fire department said. A final cause had not been determined Monday morning.

Storms pummeled Chicago and area suburbs from Sunday afternoon through early Monday after the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 9:30 p.m for Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. The warning expired at midnight.

As of 5:30 a.m., about 19,000 customers were still without power in the city and suburbs after the storms, according to ComEd. More than 200 crews were continuing to restore service Monday morning, according to the utility agency.