A home in the 8800 block of Tranquil Drive in the Dittmer area was damaged after lightning struck a nearby tree and propane tank and spread to the home on May 26. No injuries were reported, De Soto Rural Fire Chief Tom Fitzgerald said.
He said the De Soto Rural Fire Protection District got a call at 6:17 a.m. about the fire.
Fitzgerald said lightning damaged the propane tank line and fire ignited there and traveled through the copper line into the basement of the house.
He said the first crews on the scene began attacking a fire on top of the propane tank and quickly got that fire under control. However, firefighters then noticed smoke coming from the house.
Fitzgerald said there was fire damage to the basement ceiling and main level floor and smoke damage throughout the house.
“It will be repairable,” he said.
Firefighters remained on the scene for about 90 minutes. The Cedar Hill and Hillsboro fire protection districts and the De Soto Fire Department helped with the call, and the Jefferson R-7, Mapaville and St. Clair fire protection districts assisted De Soto Rural Fire with their other calls. The Valle Ambulance District also responded to the scene of the Dittmer-area house fire.