Lightning Bolt Sets South County Office on Fire

An overnight thunderstorm that doused the area with rain kept Orange County firefighters busy today from one end of the county to the other.

A lightning strike blew a one-foot hole through the roof of an insurance business in the 26000 block of Crown Valley Parkway in Mission Viejo about 7 a.m., according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz.

The lightning sparked a small blaze that was contained to a corner of the attic and caused about $30,000 in damage to five business in the two-story building, Kurtz said.

At the same time, a large branch was knocked off a 75-foot-tall pine tree next to a single-story home in the 10000 block of Rhiems Road near Stanton, Kurtz said. The branch pierced the roof like a spear and was lodged in a hallway of the home, about six feet away from the owners' bedroom, but no one was injured, Kurtz said.

The family will be staying at a hotel tonight while workers fix the roof, Kurtz said.

City News Service; Photo: Damage caused by lightning courtesy of Orange County Fire Authority