OUTER BANKS, N.C. — A number of lightning strikes left lasting impacts on Father’s Day in the Outer Banks.
Five total structures were hit, but Corolla Adventure Golf and Bumper Cars was hit the hardest. When emergency crews arrived on Sunday, the business was engulfed in flames.
“Five on Father's Day all within about two miles," Corolla Fire and Rescue Chief Rich Shortway said.
Chief Shortway and his crews are no strangers to responding to lightning strike fires.
“The worst I saw here was 10 years ago, 14 strikes in one storm. That's hitting 14 different places that we had to respond to,” he said.
Corolla Adventure Golf and Bumper Cars was the latest business to be hit and significantly impacted.
“Every door or window is steel we had to cut through with the K-12 saw to get in there...the building's made out of block and the steel doors, so everything from roof line, you know, ceiling line up was burning," Chief Shortway said, "We were there to four o'clock in the morning putting that fire out."
The chief said it’s actually common for them to be dispatched to something hit by lightning.
For now, Corolla Adventure Golf and Bumper Cars will be temporarily closed, according to their social media account. No injuries were reported from the fire.
