A three-alarm fire displaced nearly 100 people Friday evening, after lightning struck the property, fire officials said.
The fire broke out at 6:14 p.m. in the attic of a four-story multi-family home on East Main Street in Meriden, according to Meriden Fire Chief Ken Morgan and Deputy Chief Ryan Dunn.
The Meriden Fire Department confirmed that the fire was caused by a lightning strike that a resident witnessed.
Nemiah Allen, a resident at the apartment, described the lightning that struck the attic, “It was like a boom, it just shook the building,” he said. “The flames were just coming through the roof.”
Meriden’s Fire Chief Keith Morgan said fire crews had to cut through ceilings to get to the attic.
“Because of the heat and humidity, it became a difficult fire,” he said.