Lightning strike destroys teacher’s home

Lightning started a fire that destroyed the Williamsburg home of a new West Franklin teacher and her husband, officials said.

“It will occasionally happen,” Alan Radcliffe, county emergency management director, said. “We’ve had a lot of lightning recently.”

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Williamsburg, Pomona and Lincoln-Ottawa-Harrison fire departments, responded just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to a house fire at 241 Hamilton Road in Williamsburg.

Homeowner Robert Wadkins, whose wife, Connie, is a new business and technology teacher in the West Franklin School District, discovered the fire, according to a report from the sheriff’s office.

Radcliffe said lightning struck the roof of the house on the north side before it spread to other parts of the house.

Williamsburg Fire Chief Ralph Ferguson said firefighters worked the scene until after 11 p.m.

“There is extensive damage to the house,” he said. “Some things are salvageable, though.”

Jenalea Myers can be e-mailed at jmyers@ottawaherald.com.