Lightning strike causes fire at law office; smoke damage spreads through city block WATCH THE VIDEO

Hillsboro Fire Chief Jerry Powell said that a lightning strike is a suspected cause of a fire that began in the Koogler Law Office, spreading smoke to other other businesses in the 100 block of North High Street in Hillsboro. 

The 100 and 200 city block was closed for more than two hours as multiple departments battled and worked to contain the fire that began at approximately 6:30 p.m.

"There was significant damage in the back," Powell said. "There was smoke damage in all the adjacent businesses, but the fire was contained to the Koogler Law Office."

Powell said the work was a great effort by his department and mutual aid response. With the close proximity of the uptown buildings, Powell said there is a great potential for devastating damage. 

"Any time there is a fire uptown, I am definitely nervous," Powell said. "They were able to fairly quickly knock that down. We had a little bit of an issue to chase it down and get it completely out. You have voids and multiple roofs, and it creates issues to track it down and get it completely out. The aerial work really helped with the (ladder tower) and we cut several holes in the roofs to ventilate." 

Firefighters were initially unable to locate the source of a fire that sent smoke through at least five area businesses and shut down the 100 and 200 block of North High Street.
 

Smoke could be seen billowing out of the Four Seasons Pet Shop, Blossoms N Buds, Hillsboro Book and Bible, Koogler Law Office, Van Zant Law Office and Merchants Bank. At approximately 7 p.m. the firefighters were unable to locate where the fire had originated, but believed that it was somewhere between the two law offices. 

There were multiple bystanders on the street as smoke poured out of the buildings and firefighters used axes and pry-bars to gain entry into the buildings. Crews were attacking the blaze from the front of the structures, behind the structures, and from the roofs. 

Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink said that is has always been a fear of city officials and fire personnel that a fire would break out in the uptown area, resulting in damage to multiple buildings. He said, at the scene, that the HFR had pre-planned mode of attacked for the fire, and where to set up mutual aid. 

Personnel with the Hillsboro Police Department and Highland County Sheriff's Office were also on scene. 

People could be seen evacuating animals from the pet shop, and crowds of people filled the sidewalks in the area.  

Hillsboro City Council President and area attorney Lee Koogler was uptown to observe the damage his business sustained. 
 

"All I know is that my back door is kicked in, there is smoke damage everywhere, and I'm going to have to manage how to continue operating my business," Koogler said. 

The scene was under control and engines began clearing the scene just before 9 p.m., and South High Street was reopened to traffic. 

It has not yet been released where the fire started, the suspected cause, or the estimated damage. 

According to the HFR, Marshall Township, Lyncburg Fire and EMS, Highland County North Joint Fire and EMS out of Leesburg, Paint Creek Joint Fire and EMS responded to the scene for mutual aid. New Vienna District Six and a Paint Creek squad responded to Hillsboro for station coverage.