Lightning Strike Damages Bay Shore Home and Sparks Attic Fire

The strike hit the rear roof and an air-conditioning unit at the home as thunderstorms moved across Long Island. Accounts placed the strike at different times, around 7:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. One account said the damage was minor; another described blown-out windows and roof damage, followed by a fire inside the house.

Bay Shore and East Islip firefighters responded and secured the home’s power and gas. Crews initially believed they had put out the fire, but returned later after smoke and an odor prompted another check. They found a small fire in the attic, which officials said may have been fed by fire in the walls.

Fire Chief John Ippolito Jr. said crews had difficulty reaching some areas because of hoarding conditions. The house was described as a legally subdivided two-family rental, and all three people inside got out safely.

Storms also brought possible lightning activity around Nesconset and Center Moriches. In Brooklyn, a lightning strike caused an outage affecting nearly 5,000 customers across Flatbush; service was restored. Flooding was reported in parts of Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey.