HOLMES BEACH, Fla – On Thursday morning in Manatee County, a lightning strike that was captured on film caused a fire to break out at a commercial plaza.
As far as the authorities are concerned, nobody was wounded.
Rodney Kwiatkowski, the Marshal of West Manatee Fire Rescue, stated that crews were sent to the Holmes Beach Business Center plaza, which is situated off of Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, shortly after 10:30 a.m.
Kwiatkowski acknowledged that the strike was the cause of the fire by referring to the testimony of witnesses. ten Following that, Tampa Bay presented him with surveillance footage that had been obtained from across the street and showed the lightning hit. His description of what he saw was that it was a “powerful, powerful video.”
It is important to remember that if we hear lightning, we want to seek cover. According to Kwiatkowski, “We would prefer to be inside.” “We’re just thankful, again, no one was hurt and the fire is extinguished, and these people will be back in business soon.”
Ben Johnson, a witness who works across the street, stated that he heard a “large explosion sound” before “a bunch of our car alarms” started going off. This occurred before the arrival of first responders.
The footage from the security camera that was used to record the lightning strike originated from his place of employment. Immediately following the impact, the lights of a Tesla can be seen flashing, and the light can also be seen reflected off of the windshield of the vehicle.
“We thought it hit the tree, and then about an hour later we noticed there was smoke coming from the roof of the building and within a couple of minutes, it was completely up in flames – the whole length of the building,” Johnson said in his testimony.
It was the first time this year that they reacted to a building fire that was sparked by lightning, according to Kwiatkowski, who described the incident.
“A lightning strike would rarely cause this, but it happens,” he said in conclusion.
As a result of the seriousness of the situation and the magnitude of the structure, workers from a variety of authorities responded together. Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue, the city of Bradenton, and Southern Manatee Fire Rescue were among the other fire rescue organizations that were sent to the scene in addition to West Manatee Fire Rescue.
Ten Tampa Bay inquired of Kwiatkowski whether there is any way that individuals may get themselves ready for events such as this.
“Well, you know, there’s only so much you can prepare for with an act of God, right?”