Fire officials determined lighting was the cause of Wednesday morning’s fatal fire on East South Street.
According to a Galesburg Fire Department statement issued today, lightning struck a large tree adjacent to the home of 76-year-old Ola M. Cunningham.
The lightning strike caused a fire in the building’s basement. Cunningham was taken to Galesburg Cottage Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Fire investigators with the GFD and Galesburg Police Department were assisted by the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal. The agencies determined smoke and flames likely spread rapidly from the basement and consumed the home.
The structure is likely a total loss.
The cause of the fire was determined through reports from the National Lightning Detection Network and visual confirmation.
