The St. Louis Fire Department responded to a call for help at an apartment building in the 3900 block of Lindell. There was a report of a fire in the attic.
Crews and building management evacuated residents while firefighters worked to put out the flames. The fire ended up causing some damage in the attic and water damage to the top couple floors.
However, Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson told 5 On Your Side the fire could have been a lot worse.
Eight years ago, a building in the same spot caught on fire and burned beyond help. The apartment building was rebuilt almost exactly the same with one exception – sprinklers were added in the attic.
Jenkerson said a bolt of lightning likely sparked Wednesday’s fire, and that it hit in same spot where the fire started eight years ago, although that fire wasn’t started during a storm.
He said the sprinklers stopped the fire from spreading and put firefighters in a position to save the building.
