A lightning strike may be to blame for a house fire Thursday morning in northwest suburban Mount Prospect.
Firefighters responded to a home in the 400 block of East Lincoln Street about 10:45 a.m., and found heavy smoke coming from the second floor of a multi-family home, fire officials said.
A lightning bolt apparently struck the house, according to a statement from the Mount Prospect Fire Department.
It came as storms swept across the Chicago area Thursday morning, causing more than 10,000 power outages, mostly in the western suburbs.
One person who lives inside the home was asleep when the fire started, but woke up and got out safely after hearing smoke alarms, the fire department said. That person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
Crews extinguished the fire in about 15 minutes. It caused roughly $50,000 in damage, but crews were able to save $200,000 worth of the property.
Firefighters from Elk Grove Village, Elk Grove Township, Arlington Heights and Des Plaines assisted in the response.
Fire officials are urging residents to make sure homes have working smoke alarms and to test them regularly.
