Lightning caused Callaway County Ambulance District fire

Photographs taken by a drone shows the extent of damage to the unfinished Callaway County Ambulance District headquarters. The fire was caused by a lightning strike, authorities have concluded.
Photographs taken by a drone shows the extent of damage to the unfinished Callaway County Ambulance District headquarters. The fire was caused by a lightning strike, authorities have concluded.

A lightning strike sparked the fire that destroyed the new Callaway County Ambulance District headquarters last week, Fulton Fire Chief Kevin Coffelt said.

The building, still under construction at 2614 Fairway Drive, was extensively damaged in a fire Thursday morning.

A Missouri fire marshal investigated the scene.

"We checked with the National Weather Service, and they showed multiple lightning strikes in the area," Coffelt said Monday. "The copper water lines inside the building showed signs of arcing, too."

Drone photographs from the Callaway County Ambulance District show the extent of the damage. The vast majority of the building's roof is gone. The unfinished interior is scorched black, full of sodden and charred timbers.

Coffelt said the building is a loss.

CCAD Director Charles Anderson said Thursday the ambulance district and the construction contractor had insured the project.

"The building was unoccupied, no one was hurt, and services were unaffected," Anderson said at the time. "It could've been a lot worse. In the grand scheme of things, this is a setback."

The fire was reported at 5:17 a.m. Thursday; and as the first fire engine arrived, heavy smoke was already showing through the building's roof. Flames shot through the roof shortly thereafter. The danger of a roof collapse forced responding crews to remain outside. It took two hours of work for crews to bring the fire under control.