Lightning Strike May Have Caused Ilchester House Fire: Officials

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Two people were displaced by a house fire Wednesday night in Ellicott City that officials said may have been caused by lightning.

Before 10:45 p.m., the blaze broke out in the 5000 block of Ilchester Road, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. The residents reported that lightning had possibly hit the home, and they evacuated prior to the arrival of first responders.

When firefighters got to the property, the attic and roof were ablaze at the two-story, single-family home. The fire was contained to that area and caused $200,000 in damage, officials said.

The two adults who lived there were displaced but did not request assistance from the Red Cross.

The house fire in Ellicott City was not the only one in Howard County Wednesday night.

A mobile home in Woodbine also caught fire before 9 p.m. Officials attributed that blaze to a lightning strike.

Storms saturated Howard County, where a severe thunderstorm warning expired at 9:45 p.m.

Photo Credit: Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.