Fire officials will consult with the National Weather Service later Thursday to see if lightning sparked a fire at a Springfield Township business.
Firefighters were called to Ryan's Auto Repair on North Bend Drive at about 6 a.m. after a passerby saw the fire
Crews arrived to find fire and smoke coming from the front roof area of the building, which suffered heavy damage from the flames, mainly in the roof. Damage is estimated at $70,000.
A second alarm was sounded to bring in more manpower to fight the fire, which was brought under control within about an hour
A dog guarding the business escaped unharmed.
The cause of the fire is undetermined, but storms were in the area around the time of the fire. Fire officials said the fire may have smouldered for some time before becoming visible.
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