LIGHTNING STRIKE

Fire consumes Winding Ridge home

A fire likely caused by a lightning strike shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday destroyed a multistory brick home in the Eastgate II subdivision despite the efforts of numerous Hot Springs firefighters who battled the blaze for hours in stifling summer weather.

Looking on as the flames consumed his home at 119 Winding Ridge St., owner Dragan Vicentic said his wife and two sons enjoyed 11 years of living in the home he helped build.

“It was my pride and joy,” Vicentic said, choking back tears. “It took two and half years to build it.”

His 19-year-old son, Spencer, was working on a summer school class assignment when he said he smelled smoke coming from the attic and phoned his father.

“I told my son to get out real quick and turn off the power and the breakers at the back of the house. Then I called 911,” Vicentic said.

He said when he arrived at his home, his neighbor had already called the Hot Springs Fire Department. Vicentic

said he believed lightning had struck the roof.

The National Weather Service issued a significant weather advisory for southern and central Garland County until

1 p.m. Thursday. At 12:17 p.m., Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Hot Springs. “Frequent cloud-toground lightning is occurring with this storm,” the statement said.

Neighbors comforted the family while watching as firefighters scrambled to battle the fire. Nineteen firefighters, including men from the department’s recruitment class, helped extinguish the blaze.

Hot Springs Fire Chief Ed Davis said they were dispatched via a 911 call around

12:47 p.m. and spent over two hours getting the fire under control.

“There was a large amount of smoke coming from the area of the attic and ventilators,” Davis said. “The firefighters made an interior attack to try and stop the fire. They did good job of putting the fire out on the structure’s right side, but the fire began to build to the center of the structure.”

Davis said when the fire continued through the roof of the structure the firefighters were removed from the house.

“Off-duty men were called in and we had four firefighters from our recruitment class,” Davis said.

While no injuries were reported, one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion and Davis said hot weather “really takes a toll.” He said the fire marshal will make the official call as to whether the fire was due to a lightning strike.

The Sentinel-Record/Rebekah Hedges LEFT: Hot Springs firefighters walk in front of a residence at 119 Winding Ridge St. during a fully involved structure fire Thursday afternoon.

The Sentinel-Record/Rebekah Hedges BELOW: Dragan Vicentic, homeowner, and his 19-year-old son, Spencer, lean on the mailbox at their 119 Winding Ridge St. home as firefighters with the Hot Springs Fire Department battle a fully involved fire. Vicentic said he spent two and a half years building the home his family has resided in for 11 years.

The Sentinel-Record/Rebekah Hedges AFTERMATH: Firefighters continue to spray water on a home on Winding Ridge Street Thursday afternoon, hours after lightning reportedly struck the roof.

The Sentinel-Record/Rebekah Hedges BILLOWING SMOKE: Smoke billows from the roof of a home on Winding Ridge Street Thursday after lightning reportedly struck the roof.