Patton Township home could be a total loss after fire; lightning suspected 

A single-family home in Patton Township could be a total loss after a Tuesday evening fire, according to Centre Region Fire Director Steve Bair. He suspects lightning was the cause of the blaze.

Bair was the first on the scene at 210 Brothers Court, after the call came in a little bit after 8 p.m.

“There was heavy fire showing from the roof when I pulled up,” Bair said. “It was a heavy-burning, fire-in-the-sky kind of fire.”

To get to the fire, which Bair said started in the attic, firefighters from Alpha and Port Matilda had to pull the ceilings, destroying most of the second floor of the home. There was also fire damage in two rooms on the second floor.

“This is a high-loss fire,” Bair said. “This could well be a total loss.”

The fire started as severe thunderstorms rolled through Centre County. Bair said there’s a “high probability” that the house might have been hit by lightning. Bair said structure fires caused by lightning strikes “aren’t uncommon,” and happen about once a year or year and a half locally. A lightning strike displaced 24 student housing units in Patton Township in 2019.

No injuries were reported, according to Bair, and they were working to set up Red Cross assistance for the family.

In addition to Alpha and Port Matilda fire companies, LifeLink EMS and the Patton Township police also responded to the scene, and the Boalsburg fire company covered Alpha’s borough station.

This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 10:00 PM.