Lightning hits Westmount home during severe thunderstorm
Lightning struck the corner of a house in upper Westmount during a brief but severe thunderstorm on Wednesday afternoon.
A 911 call was made at about 2 p.m. by occupants of a single-family home on Bellevue Ave. to say it had been struck by lightning, said Montreal fire department spokesperson Alain Laflamme; a passer-by called 911 soon after to say the same thing.
At one point there were 17 fire trucks and about 60 firefighters on the scene, above The Boulevard and near Sunnyside Ave. Although it was considered a single-alarm fire, firefighters were concerned about the possibility of spread to neighbouring buildings, he said. The houses on the block are not that far apart — and one of Westmount’s private schools is nearby.
The fire, which started in the basement of the three-storey home and spread to the first floor, was under control by 3:15 p.m., said Laflamme. No injuries were reported.
Environment Canada had issued a severe thunderstorm watch and then a severe thunderstorm warning at 1:36 p.m., warning of heavy downpours and rainfall of 30 to 50 millimetres. The warning was lifted at 2:19 p.m. and the watch nine minutes later.
Some additional showers are possible Wednesday evening. Afterward, rain isn’t expected to hit the city again for another week according to Environment Canada’s long-range forecast.
Another storm with heavy downpours hit the city Wednesday morning, causing parts of several highways in the region to temporarily close.
This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 2:07 PM.
