Late-Night Lightning Strike Damages Bloomingdale Center

A person working late at night at an adjacent center placed the 911 call that thwarted greater damages to a Valrico Center on Erindale Drive, whose tenants include the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's Bloomingdale Community Station and the District 57 office for State Rep. Jake Raburn.

According to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesperson Ronnie Rivera, the call that prevented the fire's spread was received Aug. 1 at around 9:20 p.m. At the scene two hours later, Rivera said a fire investigator had confirmed that a lightning strike to the roof had caused the heavy smoke and billowing flames that the 911 caller had reported seeing.

"All the damage is in the roof, there's not a lot of fire damage in the walls," Rivera said. "If that person [who placed the 911 call] was not here this whole complex would have been involved. This whole building could have gone up in flames."

The smoke and water damages, described by Rivera as "severe," reportedly were contained to the end unit of the office and commercial center, which is not now occupied. A sign announcing office space for lease is posted above the front-entrance doors.

The center also houses Carter Co. Realtors and Edward Jones Investments. It stands just south of Lithia Pinecrest Road, behind Car Wash On The Green and next door to The Paint Store. The center from which the 911 call was placed houses State Farm Insurance, Aquali Salon & Spa and Sunrise Homes.

Responding to the scene were three fire trucks, one ladder truck, heavy rescue, an ambulance and two battalion chiefs, Rivera said. He added that about 22 firefighters were on the scene.

First responders saw "heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof" and a forced-entry "gave them access to the building."

There were no reported injuries.