Lightning Data indicating possible cause of fire on Monday Morning

The cause of a fire on Monday morning at 407 4th Avenue could have been due to possible lightning. Storms on Monday morning were producing some cloud to ground lightning. Positive lightning makes up less than 5% of all strikes. However, despite a significantly lower rate of occurrence, positive lightning is particularly dangerous for several reasons.

Since it originates in the upper levels of a storm, the amount of air it must burn through to reach the ground usually much greater. Therefore, its electric field typically is much stronger than a negative strike. Its flash duration is longer, and its peak charge and potential can be ten times greater than a negative strike.

Lightning data shows at approximately 5:25AM Monday morning a strong positive lightning strike was evident just west of US 63. The red square indicates where the fire was.

At approximately 5:35AM a second positive lightning strike, just slightly fainter, was evident just east of US 63 at this time. Giving the possibility the fire was due to lightning on Monday morning.