Johnson Co. pallet fire rages after suspected lightning strike

JOHNSON COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - A fire, fueled by thousands of pounds of wood, is still burning in Johnson County after storms passed through North Texas Monday night.

The fire started around 10:30 p.m. on April 4 as thunderstorms blew the area.

Alvarado Fire Department Capt. Brad Hargrove told CBS 11 News that preliminary investigations show that severe weather may have sparked the fire in the 2400 block of Luisa Lane in Venus and set yards and yards of wood ablaze.

"Once we arrived at the scene we found a full pallet yard on fire. We're suspecting it started by a lightning strike," he said.

But it wasn't just the flames first responders had to be concerned about. There are unconfirmed reports of at least one tornado touching down in Johnson County and Hargrove said one came through as they tried to put out the pallet fire. "We looked up and it was coming right over the top of us," he said. The Captain said he rode out storm in his SUV.

The pallet fire burned through the night and into the morning. Initially more than a dozen fire agencies responded to try and beat down the flames. Tuesday morning firefighters were still on the scene but they say they don't have enough water to put out the fire that has so much wood fueling it.

Crews from the Alvarado Fire Department will stay at the yard to douse hot spots but it will probably take several days for the fire to burn itself out. "I would expect this fire to burn three or four days at a minimum," Hargrove said.

There is a residential area close by but officials say none of the homes or other buildings are in any danger.