Fire Marshall: Fire At St. Cloud School Caused By Lightning
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The cause of fire at Roosevelt Early Childhood Center in St. Cloud, Minn. on Saturday has been linked to lightning.
According to the St. Cloud Fire Department, officials responded to an automatic alarm around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14.
Upon arrival, firefighters noticed smoke coming from the west end of the building.
Crews entered the building and headed west, feeling heavy heat and seeing more smoke, but excited the building after they noticed parts of the ceiling collapsing.
An investigation into the cause of the fire found that a lightning strike occurred within the immediate vicinity of the school around 8:36 p.m.
The investigation also showed that the fire was smoldering for roughly three hours before the automatic alarm was triggered.