Possible Lightning Strike Shakes Downtown Store

The sky got very dark and then there was a loud "boom" that shook the building.

That's how Nancy Stone, Nancy and David Fine Jewels co-owner, described what happened when lightning possibly struck the Essex Street store on Thursday afternoon. Firefighters responded to investigate the problem.

"BOOM!" she said with her eyes wide as she described what it sounded like inside the store between 5 and 5:30 p.m. "It was very loud and very scary."

At about 5 p.m. the skies over downtown Millburn darkened before rain poured down accompanied by lightning in the vicinity. As the storm was pushing out of the downtown area, Millburn fire trucks responded to answer the call at the jewelry store.

The power in the store never went out, but Stone said the phone lines were out. Plus another business owner in the area called to tell her there were sparks coming from the electrical box on the side of the building. The phone lines, however, came back online before 6 p.m.

Millburn firefighters called Jersey Central Power & Light to respond to the scene, who were expected to arrive within a hour.