Lightning strike believed to have caused natural gas fire in St. Paul
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A natural gas fire in St. Paul that officials believe was caused by a lightning strike was extinguished just before noon on Saturday.
The fire, which was at Brainerd Avenue and Burr Street, did not extend to homes in the area.
A preliminary investigation from St. Paul fire points to the cause coming from a lightning strike that may have hit a tree. Since there were no nearby homes, crews allowed the free-flowing gas to burn out, which is a typical procedure.
Crews evacuated nearby buildings, and once Xcel Energy arrived at the scene, they turned off the gas and the fire was extinguished around 11:40 a.m.
