Fire Destroys Rural Faribault Garage

The Faribault Fire Department was very busy this morning with a number of calls following lightning strikes.

Firefighters were extinguishing some brush that caught fire after a tree was struck in a rural area southeast of town when a call came in not far from there about a garage struck by lightning.

KDHL stopped by 3415 227th Street East in Walcott Township just off Glynview Trail and saw one of the fire trucks stuck in mud in the front yard.

Occupants of the home said they heard a boom when a lightning strike hit the backyard south of the house.

At approximately 12:16 p.m. dispatch was called about the detached garage to the east of the home being on fire.

By the time firefighters arrived the garage was fully involved and one of the first things they did was get some water on the east side of the house so it would not catch fire.

Chief Dustin Dienst says lightning was definitely the cause of the fire which left the garage a total loss.

There was fairly extensive melting to the side of the home nearest the garage.

Just as I was leaving the scene an insurance agent had already arrived to examine the damage. I commented I hoped the owners had replacement value on their property.

A friend of mine living in Colorado during wildfires a few years back did not have that coverage on his home which was devastating.

If you don't know it's a good idea to phone your home insurance agent to make sure the replacement value is what you have on your property.

Below is a photo of the side of the home facing the garage so you can see some of the meltings that took place.

As one firefighter put it, "Nobody was hurt and the home was saved."