Lightning Strikes Two Houses in Princeton Township, Causing Fires

Multiple lightning strikes during the storm tonight set two Princeton Township homes on fire, police said.
The first fire started at a house on the 100 block of Jefferson Road at about 5:30 p.m. The home was unoccupied at the time because it is undergoing a renovation. This fire caused minimal damage, but the house sustained some water damage, police said. Some of the fire crews responding to the fire had to leave to fight a second fire.
The second fire took place on the first block of Henderson Avenue at about 6p.m. The home was occupied by an elderly resident, who was inside at the time. Police said she was not injured, but her attic and roof were significantly damaged by the fire, and she with her two cats will be relocated with the help of her family.
Though it appears that both were caused by lightning strikes, both fires are being investigated by fire officials, with the assistance of the police department.
Police said no other storm related damage has been reported, although sporadic power outages were reported in several areas of the Township and Borough during the storm.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.