Lightning Strike Causes Fire in Charleston Apartment House

A dense, wind-driven storm raced through peninsular Charleston on Friday afternoon, spawning lightning strikes that set one downtown house on fire.

At about 3:45 p.m., Stacy Prutting and her son, James, 9, were in their car outside their home on Halsey Street when the storm blew through and a lightning bolt hit nearby.

It made a sound like psht, psht, psht, said James, a student at Buist Academy.

You knew it was close, his mother added. The next thing we knew, the sirens were blaring.

Lightning hit the home at the corner of Ashley Avenue and Halsey Street, setting the attic and roof on fire, the city s Fire Marshal Division determined.

Fire crews in the area had noticed smoke coming from a three-story house at 135 Ashley Ave., Charleston Fire Department Spokesman Ryan Kunitzer said. They called for help when they saw flames coming from the roof around 3:35 p.m., he said.

Charleston, St. Andrews and North Charleston firefighters extinguished the flames in the home s attic.

The home has several apartments on three floors and houses a group of College of Charleston students. Witnesses said the students on the first floor didn t know about the fire until firefighters arrived.

Flames erupted from the roof as one group of firefighters strung hoses into the house and attacked flames from outside.

All of the students reportedly were evacuated safely. The fire was put out in less then 20 minutes. Firefighters on the scene said they managed to save a cat.

Neighbors said the lightning strike shook the area.

It sounded like a crackling cannon, said Jim Prutting, who was on the phone when the bolt hit.

One firefighter was treated at a local hospital for a hand injury, Kunitzer said. No other injuries were reported in the blaze.

Christina Elmore contributed to this report.