LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – A program is helping uncover new information about a lightning strike that caused a fatal fire on July 19. STRIKEnet shows where, when, and how powerful each bolt of lightning is during a 24 hour period.
The night of July 19, one bolt struck the tree in the back yard of a home on South 3rd Street near Churchill Downs. It traveled down the tree, jumped to a wire, and spread to the house. It traveled along copper water pipes sparking fires all over the house. A 19-year-old girl and her grandfather were trapped inside. They both died.
Investigators wanted to know more about that bolt of lightning. So, the pulled the STRIKEnet report and found out exactly when and where the bolt struck. They also found out it was the single most powerful lightning strike of that entire storm.
