Lightning strikes send two to hospital

OAKLEY — Fire crews responded to reports of lightning strikes Thursday as thunder rattled a middle school during a storm moving through East Contra Costa County.

East Contra Costa Fire District engines rolled at 9:19 a.m. to O’Hara Park Middle School and almost immediately received another call for help from a home on the 800 block of O’Hara Court, according to a dispatcher with the Contra Costa County Fire District.

Ambulances transported one person from each location to a hospital, the dispatcher said.

The nature of the individuals’ medical needs was not immediately released.

Four engines arrived at the middle school, where the fire alarm system and phones were both malfunctioning, said Chief Hugh Henderson of the East Contra Costa Fire District. Although there was no evidence of a fire oncam- pus, he said it appeared that there had been a power surge throughout the school, which could have damaged the electrical system.

Firefighters checked a couple of students who were shaken by the incident, and at least one of them was taken to a hospital, Henderson said.

Details on the second child were unavailable.

Meanwhile, at least one fire crew went to the O’Hara Court home, where the agency had received an initial report of a structure fire from a lightning strike.

However, Henderson said he doesn’t believe there actually was a fire. There were some frayed nerves around the Oakley Union Elementary School District offices.

“It was close — it shook all around here,” said district office Executive Assistant Heather Partida, who heard a “huge boom” and felt the building shudder.

O’Hara Park Middle School’s phone system went down for a few minutes, Partida added, although classrooms didn’t lose power.