By MONROE ROARK
Staff Writer

A weekend storm whipped through Fayette County and left its mark on several homes, although nowhere near the extent of the damage suffered a month ago in Fayetteville.

The Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services answered four lightning-related calls within an hour Saturday evening, according to Capt. Pete Nelms. “We were extremely busy,” he said.

Most of that action was in the northwest section of the county, Nelms reported.

Firefighters responded to a call at 4:57 p.m. Saturday at 135 Rocky Creek Court, where lightning struck a gas meter and caused some damage to a house.

Another gas meter on fire due to lightning was called in at 5:15. It occurred at 215 Brandon Mill Circle.

Heavy roof damage was caused by a lightning-induced fire at 255 Blackberry Run, which was reported at 5:28 p.m. Initial assessments place the damage at more than $50,000.

A structure fire at 290 Butterfield Lane, near New Hope Road, was reported at 5:42, with lightning also the cause.

A fire spotted by Tyrone police officers at an unoccupied home at 100 Stop Circle Drive was called in just before 2 a.m. Sunday.

It was apparently caused by lightning as well, although the storm left the Tyrone area at about 9:30 Saturday evening.

Nelms said that lightning can strike a building and take several hours before enough oxygen and heat is accumulated to ignite.

Anyone who suspects that his or her home has been struck by lightning is encouraged to call 911, but if you think your situation is not serious enough to do so, you should continue to monitor the structure in case a delayed fire such as this breaks out, Nelms said.

Numerous other lightning strikes to houses occurred throughout the county, with damage also being caused by minor debris in some areas. There were also reports that the Ulta 3 retail store in Fayette Pavilion was hit by lightning, perhaps twice.

About five roads were blocked by debris and cleared up by the county's Road Department, Nelms said.

The Fayetteville Fire Department delivered mutual aid throughout the weekend.

“It was a busy, busy evening,” Nelms said, “but certainly nothing like what happened a few weeks ago.”

Peachtree City apparently escaped the kind of damage seen by its neighbors to the north and east.

The Peachtree City Public Works Department reported power and cable outages in the city, but there was nothing that required direct attention from the city, according to city spokesperson Betsy Tyler.

Similar good fortune was reported by the Peachtree City Fire Department, with no damage to speak of. “The magic bubble over Peachtree City held once again,” said Capt. Ed Eiswerth.