Lightning reportedly strikes housing authority office in San Juan

By Naxiely Lopez in The McAllen Monitor
Families looking for public housing assistance in the area will now have to go to McAllen after lightning reportedly struck the Hidalgo County Housing Authority Office here Monday.

The San Juan Fire Department responded about 3 p.m. Monday to a structure fire at Villa San Juanita Rutledge, 1200 N. Standard Ave. According to the incident report, smoke was coming from the roof when firefighters arrived. They used a 75-foot ladder and a chainsaw to make a 4-by-4 foot ventilation cut on the roof so firefighters could see when entering the building.

Lopez said fire officials told him lightning had probably started the fire.

“Luckily, no one was inside the building,” he said.

He said the building has been sealed, and the housing authority is waiting for the insurance company to assess the damage.