ST. LOUIS – No injuries were reported after an overnight fire in north St. Louis early Tuesday morning, which investigators believe may have been caused by a lightning strike.
The fire occurred around 3 a.m. on the 4300 block of West Belle in north St. Louis’ Vandeventer neighborhood. Fire officials suspect that lightning traveled through the plumbing, igniting the fire in the basement.
Fire crews responded quickly to the scene, managing to contain the fire despite significant smoke throughout the home. Authorities noted that there was a lot of lightning in the area at the time of the incident.
Although no direct lightning strikes to the roof were reported, officials at the scene indicated that the lightning could have traveled through the home’s plumbing system, which is known to conduct electricity.
An internet search reveals that metal plumbing can act as a conductor of electricity, and water can also be a conductor. This suggests that a lightning strike near a home can potentially travel through pipes into the building.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the fire was contained quickly, preventing further damage to the home.
All facts from this article were gathered by KTVI journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KTVI staff.