Lightning Strike Starts Fire in Centuries-Old House

A lightning strike Monday morning touched off a fire in a Westport house built in 1742.

Lightning hit the north side of the house at 73 Kings Highway South and continued into the attic in an area set up as an office. Westport Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury said when firefighters arrived, flames were coming out an upstairs window and a portion of the roof.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the office area using a single handline pulled into the house and up the interior stairs.

Kingsbury said there were five reports of structures being struck by lightning in Westport Monday morning, three of which resulted in fires.

The family of the Kings Highway South home escaped without injury. Kingsbury said no fire personnel were injured fighting the fire.

The Norwalk Fire Dept. provided mutual aid, dispatching an engine and truck to the scene.

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