Lightning strike starts fire at Baton Rouge business
BATON ROUGE - Sources say a lightning strike started a fire at a Baton Rouge business as storms moved through the area on Friday morning.
The Baton Rouge Fire Department is investigating the building fire, located at iRefund Tax Group in the 300 block of Roselawn Avenue. According to BRFD, smoke was billowing from the building when fire fighters arrived on the scene.
The fire destroyed about 85 percent of the building and its contents before it was brought under control.
The building was being used to store construction materials that were to be used in renovating other properties the owners owned.
The cause of the fire is still undetermined at this time by BRFD, however a witness to the fire stated that it was caused by lightning. Witnesses say no one was inside the building at the time.
See below for video of BRFD responding to the fire:
Reported lightning strike at the 4000 block of Florida from Shane O'Callaghan @NWSNewOrleans pic.twitter.com/3TmFXRjQR5
— Robert GauthreauxIII (@RG3wbrz) July 15, 2016Trending News
Baton Rouge has seen multiple days that saw high numbers of lightning strikes and power outages during afternoon storms. On Thursday, 2 men were injured during a lightning strike at an Old Hammond Highway apartment complex. One of those men later died.